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Janeway,  J.  J.  1774-1858. 
Letters  on  The  Atonement: 
which  a  contrast  is 


LETTERS 


IN   WHICH 

A  CONTRAST  IS  INSTITUTED   BETWEEN 

THE 


!9®0VOnB 


OF  THE 

OLD  AND  OF  THE  NEW  SCHOOL; 

OR  BETWEEN  THE 

DEFINITE  AND  INDEFINITE  SCHEME, 

ON  THIS  IMPORTANT  SUBJECT. 
ADDRESSED  TO 

A    BROTHER    IN    THE    MINISTRY. 


BY  J.  J.  JANEWAY,  D.D. 

Pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian.  Church,  Philadelphia. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  A.  FINLEY, 

Corner  of  Fourth  and  Chesnut  Streets. 

Clark  «$■  Raser,  Printers. 

1827. 


CONTENTS 
><h 

PAGE 

Letter  I.     Extent  of  the  Atonement       ...  5 
II.     Offer  of  Salvation  in  preaching  the 

Gospel       32 

III.  Divine  Grace  in  the  Recovery  of 

fallen  Man 56 

IV.  Objections  answered 73 

V.  Nature  of  the  Atonement      ...  98 

VI.  Nature  of  the  Atonement      ...  123 
VII.     Objections  answered 143 

VIII.    The  Truth  of  God 167 

IX    The  Justice  of  God       185 

X.    The  Love  of  God 200 

XI.     On  the  Law 214 

XII.    The  Redeemer's  Glory      ....  223 


MWMSSSMIWHi 


Until  of  late  years  the  writer  of  these 
Letters  scarcely  ever,  in  the  course  of  his 
public  ministry,  touched  on  the  extent  of 
the  atonement.  He  was  in  the  habit  of  ex- 
plaining its  true  nature,  as  a  satisfaction 
tor  sin ;  and,  on  the  ground  of  the  infinite 
merit  of  the  death  of  Christ,  making  a  free 
offer  of  salvation  to  his  hearers ;  assuring 
them  that  whosoever  believed  would  cer- 
tainly be  saved.  But  lately  the  extent  of 
the  atonement  has  been  made  a  subject  of 
controversy  in  the  Presbyterian  church; 
and  some  advocates  of  the  indefinite  scheme 
have  represented  this  as  a  point  of  such  im- 
portance as  to  allege,  that  those  who  do  not 
adopt  their  views  cannot  preach  the  gospel ; 
and  indeed  their  zeal  to  carry  a  favourite 
dogma,  has,  in  the  author's  opinion,  led 
them  to  abandon  the  true  nature  of  the 
atonement. 


IV  ADVERTISEMENT, 

Iii  tliese  circumstances,  it  appeared  advi- 
sable to  draw  a  contrast  between  the  new 
and  the  old  doctrine  on  this  most  important 
subject.  The  writer  thought  proper  to  do 
it  in  a  course  of  letters  to  a  ministerial 
brother.  At  the  commencement,  he  had 
not  determined  to  give  them  publicity ;  but 
having  mentioned  to  a  friend  what  he  was 
doing,  he  was  requested  to  publish  them  in 
the  Christian  Advocate.  He  complied ;  and 
now  being  informed  that  they  have  been 
well  received  by  many,  he  is  induced,  by 
the  request  and  advice  of  two  brethren  of 
high  standing  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
on  whose  judgment  he  places  much  reli- 
ance, to  collect  them  in  this  little  book,  in 
which  they  may  be  read  with  greater  faci- 
lity and  advantage,  than  in  the  Christian 
Advocate,  in  which  they  are  mixed  up  with 
various  other  articles  in  two  large  volumes. 


LETTERS 

ox 


LETTER  I. 

Extent  of  the  Atonement, 

Dear  Brother, 

The  doctrine  of  the  atonement  made  by 
our  blessed  and  Divine  Lord,  is,  you  well 
know,  of  unspeakable  importance.  It  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  a  sinner's  hope  of  sal- 
vation. Had  no  atonement  been  provided, 
darkness  must  forever  have  shrouded  our 
guilty  world;  no  ray  of  light  from  heaven 
would  have  cheered  our  hearts;  the  whole 
race  of  fallen  man  must  have  sunk  beyond 
recovery,  under  the  tremendous  curse  of  a 
violated  law.  But  infinite  mercy  beheld 
our  ruined  and  helpless  condition ;  it  pitied 


6  LETTERS  OK 

our  misery,  and  determined  on  the  salvation 
of  sinners,  by  a  method  at  once  safe  for 
them,  and  glorious  to  God. 

As  this  method  was  devised,  so  it  was 
revealed,  by  Infinite  Wisdom;  and  conse- 
quently nothing  in  relation  to  its  true  na- 
ture and  blessed  effects  can  be  known,  but 
what  the  sacred  scriptures  have  taught. 
To  the  scriptures,  then,  must  be  our  appeal 
in  every  dispute  on  this  all-important  sub- 
ject. What  they  teach  it  behoves  us  care- 
fully to  inquire  and  cordially  to  believe; 
always  remembering  that  philosophical 
speculations  on  matters  of  pure  revelation, 
are  apt  to  mislead.  If  Jehovah  is  pleased 
to  conceal  any  thing  from  us,  it  is  vain  for 
man  to  attempt  to  discover  it. — "Secret 
things  belong  unto  the  Lord  our  God :  but 
those  things  which  are  revealed,  belong 
unto  us  and  to  our  children  for  ever." 

Two  theories  on  the  subject  of  the  atone- 
ment are  advocated  by  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  The  one  is  the  defi- 
nitey  the  other  the  indefinite  scheme.  The 
advocates  of  the  former  have  been  denomi- 


THE   ATONEMENT.  7 

nated  The  Old  School,  and  the  advocates 
of  the  latter  The  New  School. 

In  the  course  of  the  letters  which  I  am 
writing  to  you,  my  design  is,  to  institute  a 
comparison  between  the  two  theories — A 
short  statement  of  each  will  facilitate  the 
accomplishment  of  this  design. 

The  friends  of  the  definite  plan  believe, 
that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  in  exe- 
cution of  his  engagements  with  his  eternal 
Father  in  the  covenant  of  redemption, 
came  into  the  world  in  the  fulness  of  time; 
that  having  assumed  our  nature  into  a  per- 
sonal union  with  his  Divine  nature,  he  ap- 
peared in  the  world  as  the  Saviour  of  sinful 
men.  They  believe  that  the  immaculate 
Redeemer  was  made  under  the  law,  and 
consequently  subject  to  its  penal  demands, 
as  well  as  to  its  preceptive  requisitions; 
that  he  became  obedient  unto  death,  even 
the  death  of  the  cross;  and  that  the  whole 
of  his  sufferings,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
close  of  his  spotless  life,  constituted  that 
all-sufficient  sacrifice  which  he  offered  for 
sin.     They  believe  that  Jesus  Christ,  as  the 


5.ETTERS  ON 

substitute  of  his  people,  was  charged  with 
their  sins,  and  bore  the  punishment  of 
them,  and  thus  made  a  full  and  complete 
satisfaction  to  Divine  justice  for  all  who 
shall  ever  believe  on  him;  and  that  this 
atonement  will  eventually  be  applied  to  all 
for  whom,  in  the  intention  of  the  Divine 
Redeemer,  it  was  made:  or,  in  other  words, 
to  all  to  whom  the  wise  and  holy  God  has, 
in  his  adorable  sovereignty,  been  pleased 
to  decree  its  application. 

They  believe,  moreover,  that,  in  making 
an  atonement  or  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of 
all  who  were  given  to  him  by  the  Father  to 
be  redeemed,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  did 
offer  a  sacrifice  or  make  an  atonement,  suf- 
ficient, in  its  intrinsic  value,  to  expiate  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world;  that  this  infinite 
worth  necessarily  arose  from  the  nature  of 
his  work,  and  the  infinite  dignity  of  his 
Divine  person;  and  that,  if  it  had  been  the 
pleasure  of  God  to  apply  it  to  every  indi- 
vidual, the  whole  human  race  would  have 
beeu  saved  by  its  immeasurable  worth. 

On  the  ground  of  the  infinite  value  of 


THE  ATONEMENT,  0 

the  atonement,  they  further  believe  that 
the  offer  of  salvation  can  be  consistently 
and  sincerely  made  to  all  who  hear  the 
gospel :  accompanied  with  the  gracious  and 
divine  assurance,  that  whosoever  believeth 
shall  be  saved;  and  enforced  by  the  solemn 
and  alarming  denunciation — that  he  who 
believes  not,  but  wilfully  rejects  the  over- 
tures of  mercy,  will  increase  his  guilt  and 
aggravate  his  damnation. 

Such  are  the  views  of  the  Old  School ; 
views  that  were  entertained  by  the  illus- 
trious leaders  in  the  glorious  Reformation ; 
views  embodied  in  the  creeds  of  almost  all 
the  Protestant  churches,  that  flourished  im- 
mediately after  that  grand  epoch  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Christian  church. 

The  views  of  the  friends  of  the  indefi- 
nite plan  are  different.  They  do  not  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  great  transac- 
tion of  dying  for  the  redemption  of  the 
world,  was  charged  with  the  sins  of  his 
people,  or  bore  the  punishment  due  to 
them,  or  endured  the  penalty  of  the  law, 
They  assert,  that  he  suffered  for  sin  in  ge- 


10  LETTERS  ON 

neral ;  that  by  bis  sufferings  a  display  was 
made  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  an  exhibition 
of  Divine  justice;  that  his  sufferings  were 
designed  to  be  a  substitute  for  our  suffer- 
ings, and  in  this  way  were  vicarious,  but 
not  as  being  the  sufferings  of  one  who  took 
the  sinner's  place.  In  this,  say  they,  con- 
sisted the  atonement :  and  thus  the  obstacle 
to  the  salvation  of  our  sinful  race  being  re- 
moved, God  can  now  exercise  his  sovereign 
mercy,  and  apply  the  benefits  of  the  atone- 
ment to  whom  he  pleases ;  and  as  it  was 
not  made  for  one  man  more  than  for  ano- 
ther, the  offers  of  salvation  can  be  freely 
made  to  all  mankind  without  distinction. 

They  deny  that  the  Redeemer  made  a 
plenary  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  believers; 
because  such  a  satisfaction  would  in  their 
view  be  incompatible  with  the  grace  that 
reigns  in  the  salvation  of  sinners.  Yet 
some  admit  a  satisfaction  to  what  they 
choose  to  denominate  public  justice  ;  but  at 
the  same  time  they  contend,  this  was  no  sa- 
tisfaction to  Jehovah's  distributive  justice, 
or  to  the  penal  demands  of  his  holy  and 


THE   ATONEMEN1  II 

violated  law — Relievers  are  saved,  in  oppo- 
sition both  to  the  demands  of  the  law  and 
to  the  claims  of  justice.  A  provision,  how- 
ever, they  think  has  been  made  by  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ,  in  consequence  of  which 
it  becomes  consistent  with  the  stability  and 
honour  of  Jehovah's  moral  government 
over  rational  creatures,  to  save  all  who  be- 
lieve in  Christ;  but  still  they  assert,  that 
the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  will  never  be 
free  from  guilt,  and  that  Paul  and  his  com- 
peers are  now  as  guilty  as  when  on  earth, 
and  will  forever  deserve  the  punishment  of 
hell.  The  demands  of  the  law,  and  the 
claims  of  distributive  justice  too,  they  ac- 
knowledge will  forever  remain  unsatisfied ; 
because  they  were  not  cancelled  by  the  Sa- 
viour's death,  and  never  can  be  satisfied  by 
the  redeemed  themselves. 

This  is  the  new  scheme ;  a  scheme  which 
its  advocates  recommend  as  being  far  pre- 
ferable to  the  old  one ;  which  has  for  so 
many  years  obtained  the  approbation  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  They  prefer  it  on 
three   accounts.     It  gives,   they   imagine, 


12  LETTERS  ON 

greater  extent  to  the  atonement ;  is  more 
compatible  with  a  free  and  general  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel,  and  with  an  unfettered 
and  unreserved  offer  of  salvation  to  all  sin- 
ners ;  and  corresponds  best  with  the  free- 
ness  and  sovereignty  of  Divine  grace,  dis- 
played in  the  recovery  of  fallen  man. 

While  the  advocates  of  the  two  schemes 
thus  differ  in  their  views  of  the  atonement, 
they  are  agreed  in  the  belief  of  the  two  fol- 
lowing points.  First,  they  receive  the 
doctrine  that  teaches  us  that  Jehovah,  in 
his  adorable  sovereignty,  has,  from  all  eter- 
nity, elected  to  everlasting  life  some,  and 
not  all,  of  the  human  family:  secondly, 
they  believe  that  the  atonement  never  was, 
and  never  will  be,  applied  to  any  indivi- 
dual of  our  race,  in  any  other  way  than  by 
the  power  of  Almighty  grace.  "  Ye  will 
not,"  said  our  Redeemer,  "  come  unto  me 
that  ye  might  have  life."  And  again, 
"  No  man  can  come  unto  me,  except  the 
Father  which  hath  sent  me,  draw  him." 

These  two  points,  you  know,  are  insepa- 
rably  interwoven   with   the  great  subject 


THE  ATONEMENT.  13 

under  discussion;  and,  therefore,  ought,  as 
we  go  along,  to  be  distinctly  recollected, 
and  their  bearings  on  it  ascertained.  Let 
us  now  examine  the  pretensions  of  the  New 
School,  and  see  if  their  scheme  has,  as  they 
apprehend,  in  the  particulars  stated  above, 
any  superiority  over  that  of  the  Old  School. 

I.  It  is  affirmed  that  the  indefinite  is 
of  Jar  greater  extent  than  the  definite 
atonement, 

Christ,  say  its  advocates,  died  as  much 
for  one  man  as  for  another.  He  made 
atonement  for  sin  in  general :  and  thus 
opened  the  door  of  mercy  for  all  mankind 
— opened  the  way  in  which  every  believer, 
of  whatever  denomination,  or  sect,  or  na- 
tion, may  be  saved. 

But  in  what  respect  has  the  indefinite 
greater  extent  than  the  definite  atonement? 

1.  Not  in  regard  to  the  merit  of 
Christ's  death.  Let  our  opponents  mag- 
nify it  as  they  please,  they  cannot  go  be- 
yond us  in  their  views.  We  are  ready  to 
join  with  them  in  celebrating  its  praises  in 
the  loftiest  strains.     We  believe  the  merit 

B 


14  LETTERS  ON 

of  Immanuel's  death  to  be,  like  his  divine 
dignity,  really  infinite;  sufficient,  if  it  had 
been  Jehovah's  pleasure  to  apply  it  to  all, 
to  save  every  son  and  daughter  of  our  apos- 
tate race;  and  unnumbered  millions  more 
of  such  accountable  creatures,  if  such  had 
existed. 

2.  Not  in  regard  to  its  application. 
To  whom,  and  to  how  many  human  beings, 
the  atonement  will,  in  the  course  of  re- 
volving ages,  be  applied,  it  is  impossible  to 
tell.  The  final  day  will  show  multitudes 
which  no  man  can  number;  thousands  and 
thousands,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thou- 
sand— all  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
cleansed  from  every  sin,  and  made  pure  as 
the  light.  Our  brethren  will  accord  with 
us  in  saying,  that  the  atonement  will  save 
every  soul  to  whom  it  shall  be  applied,  not 
excepting  the  vilest  of  human  beings.  Be- 
yond this  they  dare  not  go;  they  will  not 
say  that  a  single  individual  of  Adam's  race 
can  be  admitted  into  heaven,  in  any  other 
way  than  through  the  sprinkling  of  the 
peace-speaking  blood  of  our  adored  Lord 
and  Redeemer, 


THE  ATONEMENT.  15 

3.  Not  in  regard  to  the  offer  of  sal- 
vation. To  whom  can  the  advocates  of  an 
indefinite  atonement,  in  preaching  the 
gospel,  tender  its  blessings,  that  the  advo- 
cates of  a  definite  atonement  cannot? 
You,  Sir,  well  know,  that  we  are  taught 
by  our  Divine  Master  to  offer  his  great  sal- 
vation to  every  one,  to  whom,  in  the 
course  of  his  providence,  we  are  called  to 
minister  in  holy  things.  Whenever  we 
stand  up  in  his  name  to  speak,  we  are  au- 
thorized to  announce  the  joyful  truth,  that 
salvation  is  come  unto  them.  We  can  say 
to  everyone  of  our  hearers,  young  and  old, 
rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free,  to  the  profli- 
gate as  well  as  to  the  moral  part  of  our  au- 
ditory, "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  "  Ho,  every 
one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters." 
"And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  come; 
and  let  him  that  heareth  say,  come;  and  let 
him  that  is  athirst  come;  and  whosoever 
will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  free- 
ly." And  let  it  be  distinctly  observed, 
ihat  all  our  offers  of  salvation  are  grounded 


16  LETTERS  ON 

on  the  atonement,  and  that  we  have  none 
to  make  but  through  the  medium  of  Christ's 
death. 

4.  Not  in  regard  to  the  divine  pur- 
pose. Believing  in  the  infinite  intelligence 
of  Jehovah,  and  in  the  infinite  wisdom  of 
the  Redeemer,  our  brethren  cannot  but 
admit,  that  both  the  Father  and  the  Son 
knew,  from  all  eternity,  to  whom  the  atone- 
ment would  be  applied  in  time;  and  be- 
lieving also  in  the  doctrine  of  a  personal 
election  to  everlasting  life,  they  must  con- 
cede that  Jehovah  had  decreed  the  precise 
number  of  our  race,  to  whom  he  would 
apply  its  sovereign  virtue.  Here  then  we 
are  perfectly  agreed.  They  believe,  as 
well  as  we,  that  the  Father  gave  to  his  Son, 
in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  a  definite 
number  to  be  saved ;  and  consequently  that 
they  only  will  certainly  and  eventually  be 
saved.  One  of  the  New  School  speaks  of 
"  the  certainty  of  the  salvation  of  those 
for  whom,  electively,  Christ  died ;"  "  and 
in  this  sense,"  he  believes,  Christ  "  died 
for  the  elect  alone"     "I  grant  freely," 


1'HK  ATONEMENT.  17 

says  another  disciple  of  the  same  school, 
"  that  only  apart  of  mankind  were  given 
to  the  Son  in  the  covenant  of  redemption, 
and  that  the  salvation  of  these  was  one  im- 
portant object  he  had  in  view  in  laying 
down  his  life:?'  and  in  another  place  he 
observes,  "I  feel  no  difficulty  in  admit- 
ting, that  there  is  a  sense  in  which  Christ 
laid  down  his  life  for  the  sheep,  in  which 
he  did  not  for  others.  As  far  as  his  ob- 
ject in  laying  down  his  life  was  to  secure 
the  salvation  of  those  for  whom  he  died, 
he  laid  down  his  life  for  the  sheej)  only; 
for  he  never  intended  to  secure  the  sal- 
vation of  any  others" 

It  is  conceded  then,  that  the  benefits  of 
the  atonement  will  be  applied  only  to  those 
to  whom  an  infinitely  wise  God  decreed  to 
apply  them ;  and  that  the  Redeemer  died 
to  save  only  the  elect.  Now,  this  is  j?re- 
cisely  the  reason  why  we  affirm  the  atone- 
ment to  be  definite:  the  grand  object  of 
it,  so  far  as  respects  man,  is  the  salvation 
of  that  portion  of  our  lost  race  which  Jeho- 
vah was  pleased,  in  the  exercise  of  bound- 
B  2 


18  LETTERS  ON 

less  and  unmerited  mercy,  to  determine  to 
deliver  from  the  deplorable  ruin  into  which 
all  had  fallen.  "  Christ  loved  the  church 
and  gave  himself  for  it;  that  he  might 
sanctify  and  cleanse  it  by  the  washing  of 
water  by  the  word,  that  he  might  present 
it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having 
spot  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing;  but 
that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  ble- 
mish."—Ephes.  v.  25—27.  "  All  that  the 
Father  hath  given  me,  shall  come  to  me ; 
and  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out.  For  I  came  down  from  hea- 
ven, not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will 
of  Him  that  sent  me.  And  this  is  the  Fa- 
ther's will  which  hath  sent  me,  that  of  all 
which  he  hath  given  me,  I  should  lose  no- 
thing, but  should  raise  it  up  at  the  last  day. 
And  this  is  the  will  of  Him  that  hath  sent 
me,  that  every  one  which  seeth  the  Son, 
and  believeth  on  him,  may  have  everlast- 
ing life:  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last 
day." — John  vi.  37 — 40.  "I  am  the  good 
shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep,  and  am 
known  of  mine.     As  the  Father  kuoweth 


THE  ATONEMENT-  19 

me,  even  so  know  I  the  Father  :  and  I  lay 
down  my  life  for  the  sheep." — John  x.  14, 
15.  u  I  pray  for  them  :  I  pray  not  for  the 
world,  but  for  them  which  thou  hast  given 
me;  for  they  are  thine." — John  xvii.  9. 

It  appears  then  that,  in  regard  to  the 
merit  of  Christ's  death, — in  regard  to 
its  application, — in  regard  to  the  offer  of 
salvation, — and  in  regard  to  the  Divine 
purpose,  the  indefinite  is  not  at  all  more 
extensive  than  the  definite  atonement. 

In  what  respect,  then,  we  demand,  is  the 
former  more  extensive  than  the  latter? 
Will  the  advocates  of  the  new  theory  af- 
firm, that  the  atonement  was  made  for  all 
men?  But  they  have  already  admitted, 
that  Christ  died  intentionally  to  save  the 
elect  only ;  and  that  God  did  not  by  the 
atonement  design  to  save  any  other  men. 
How  then  was  the  atonement  made  for  all 
mankind?  They  cannot  pretend  to  say, 
that  the  gospel  has  been  preached  univer- 
sally to  our  fallen  race;  they  cannot  deny 
that  millions  have  died  without  ever  hear- 
ing of  the  name  of  Christ,  or  having  the 


20  LETTERS  ON 

offers  of  salvation  made  to  them.  And  is 
it  credible  that  the  atonement  was  made 
for  all  men,  and  yet  the  larger  portion  of 
mankind  never  heard  a  word  about  it,  and 
died  without  having  their  ears  saluted  with 
the  joyful  sound?  If  the  atonement  had 
really  been  made  for  all,  would  not  that 
infinite  love  which  provided  it  for  all,  have 
so  ordered,  that  all  should  have  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  delightful  fact  ?  Did 
an  infinitely  wise  Jehovah  provide  this 
most  costly  and  magnificent  feast,  for  mil- 
lions and  millions  in  every  age  of  the  world, 
to  whom  he  never  sent  an  invitation  to  par- 
take of  it;  and  whom  he  suffered  to  live 
and  die  in  absolute  ignorance  of  its  exis- 
tence?    Incredible! 

But  one  advocate  of  an  indefinite  atone- 
ment says,  "  It  opened  a  door  of  hope  for 
all  men;"  and  another,  "That  all  men, 
being  placed  in  a  state  of  probation,  have 
an  opportunity  to  secure  their  eternal  sal- 
vation." Indeed !  The  heathen  then,  who 
never  heard  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God, 
have,   notwithstanding   their   btupid   igno- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  21 

ranee  and  debasing  idolatry,  a  door  of  hope 
set  open  before  them ;  and  those  who  never 
heard  a  syllable  about  the  atonement,  have 
an  opportunity  for  securing  their  salvation! 
Who  taught  this  doctrine?  Not  inspired 
men.  They  teach  very  differently.  They 
have  no  such  favourable  views  of  a  state  of 
heathenism.  Listen  to  the  Evangelist 
Matthew :  "  The  people  which  sat  in  dark- 
ness saw  a  great  light;  and  to  them  which 
sat  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death 
light  is  sprung  up."  Hearken  to  Paul: 
"For  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  Lord 
shall  be  saved.  How  then  shall  they  call 
on  him  in  whom  they  have  not  believed  ? 
and  how  shall  they  believe  in  him  of  whom 
they  have  not  heard  ?  and  how  shall  they 
hear  without  a  preacher?'5 — Romans  x.  13, 
14.  "Wherefore  remember,  that  ye  being 
in  time  past  Gentiles  in  the  flesh,  who  are 
called  uncircumcision  by  that  which  is 
called  circumcision  in  the  flesh  made  with 
hands;  that  at  that  time  ye  were  without 
Christ,  being  aliens  from  the  Common- 
wealth of  Israel ',  and  strangers  from  the 


22  '  LETTERS  OK 

covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope, 
and  without  God  in  the  world."  Surely 
these  texts  do  not  teach  us  that  the  heathen 
have  a  door  of  hope  set  open  before  them; 
and  that  all  heathen  have  an  opportunity 
of  securing  their  salvation. 

But  the  friends  of  the  new  scheme  will 
say,  The  atonement  is  one  thing,  and  the 
Divine  intention  is  another;  and  that  the 
atonement  ought  to  be  considered  abstract- 
edly from  the  purpose  of  God.  The  atone- 
ment abstractedly  considered!  A  grand 
mistake.  It  cannot  be  thus  contemplated ; 
it  was  the  purpose  of  God  that  made  the 
death  of  his  Son  an  atonement;  and  conse- 
quently if  you  view  his  death  apart  from 
this  purpose,  you  can  see  no  atonement. 
In  the  cross  of  Christ  thus  contemplated, 
you  may  behold  suffering  and  ignominy ; 
you  may  behold  a  display  of  fortitude  and 
patience:  but  you  can  see  no  atonement. 
To  discover  this,  you  must  ask,  why  on 
Calvary  was  exhibited  that  amazing  spec- 
tacle? why  did  the  Son  of  God  submit  to 
such    bitter    agonies    and    overwhelming 


THE  ATONEMENT.  23 

shame?  for  until  these  inquiries  be  answer- 
ed, and  Jehovah's  design  in  the  crucifixion 
of  his  own  Son  be  ascertained,  you  can 
contemplate  no  atonement.  The  death  of 
Christ  is  an  atonement,  because  his  Father 
designed  it  to  be  an  atonement;  so  that  the 
atonement  necessarily  involves  in  its  idea, 
that  of  Jehovah's  intention,  in  bruising  his 
Son  and  putting  him  to  grief. 

You  see  a  man  presenting  to  another  a 
valuable  jewel,  but  you  are  ignorant  of  his 
intention.  Is  it  a  gift,  or  is  it  a  ransom? 
It  is  impossible  for  you  to  tell.  But  you 
are  informed  it  is  a  gift.  Immediately 
you  connect  in  your  mind  the  jewel  with 
the  intention  of  the  donor.  Or  you  are 
informed  it  is  a  ransom;  and  then  you  im- 
mediately connect  the  jewel  with  the  in- 
tention of  its  owner,  to  deliver  prisoners 
from  captivity  and  bondage.  So  that  both 
a  gift  and  a  ransom,  necessarily  involve  the 
idea  of  the  intention,  for  which  a  sum  of 
money  or  a  jewel  is  presented  by  one  per- 
son to  another.  Thus  stands  the  matter  in 
relation  to  the  death  of  Christ.     While  you 


24  LETTERS  ON 

contemplate  it  abstracted  from  the  Divine 
intention,  it  will  suggest  to  you  no  other 
ideas  than  those  of  pain,  ignominy,  pa- 
tience, and  fortitude  ;  but  when  you  con- 
template this  mysterious  occurrence,  in 
connexion  with  the  Divine  intention  to 
make  the  blood  of  Christ  a  propitiation  for 
sin,  you  behold  the  great  atonement. 

As  then  the  atonement  necessarily  in- 
volves the  Divine  intention  in  relation  to 
the  death  of  Christ,  we  are  authorized  to 
ask  the  friends  of  an  indefinite  scheme  a 
question  on  the  subject.  Do  you  believe 
that  the  Father  delivered  up  his  Son,  and 
that  the  Son  delivered  up  himself  to  an  ac- 
cursed death,  with  an  intention  to  save  all 
mankind  ?  To  answer  this  question  affir- 
matively, would  be  to  establish  universal 
salvation ;  because  the  purpose  of  God 
must  stand,  and  he  will  do  all  his  pleasure. 
But  they  have  already  answered  the  ques- 
tion in  the  negative.  They  believe  that 
the  Father  gave  to  his  Son  in  the  covenant 
of  redemption  a  particular,  definite  number 
of  the  human  race  to  save;  and  that  for 


THE  ATONEMENT.  25 

these,  and  for  these  alone,  did  the  Son  die 
with  an  intention  to  save  them;  and  that 
to  none  beside  the  elect  will  the  atonement 
be  applied.  Thus  the  decree  of  election  is 
brought  into  connexion  with  the  death  of 
our  great  Redeemer;  and  the  atonement 
becomes  definite,  because  infinite  sove- 
reignty chose  it  should  be  so.  No  matter 
when  the  decree  of  election  takes  effect; 
whether  before,  as  in  the  case  of  infants,  or 
after  a  rejection  of  the  atonement,  as  in  the 
case  of  most  adults,  the  subject  is  not  al- 
tered; the  truth  remains  the  same;  the 
atonement  is  limited,  definite.  You  may- 
call  it  otherwise ;  you  may  call  it  general, 
you  may  call  it  indefinite.  But  it  retains 
its  true  character.  It  rs  what  the  Divine 
purpose  has  made  it — definite,  limited; 
not  indeed  in  its  value,  which  is  unlimited 
and  infinite;  but  in  its  application,  and  in 
respect  to  the  intention  of  the  Father  who 
appointed,  and  of  the  Son  who  made  the 
atonement. 

Another  proof  of  this  point  will  be  found 
in  the  meaning  of  the  word  atonement.     Its 
c 


X5b  LETTERS  ON 

proper  signification  is,  agreement,  concord, 
expiation,  reconciliation.  Accordingly 
we  find  this  meaning  attributed  to  the  ori- 
ginal Greek  term :  x«r«AA«yii,  in  Rom.  v. 
11,  translated  atonement,  properly  signi- 
fies reconciliation.  So  it  is  rendered  in 
other  places ;  and  in  correspondence  with 
its  cognate  verb,  which  is  translated  recon- 
ciled. 

The  Hebrew  term  133  translated  atone- 
ment, is  derived  from  a  verb  that  signifies 
to  cover  ;  and  therefore,  when  it  expresses 
the  effect,  it  signifies  a  covering;  and  when 
it  expresses  the  cause,  it  signifies  that 
which  covers  sin,  and  thus  removes  the  Di- 
vine displeasure  from  the  offender. 

In  strictness  of  speech  we  ought  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  death  of  Christ,  and 
the  atonement ;  just  as  we  distinguish  be- 
tween a  cause  and  its  effect.  The  death  of 
Christ  is  one  thing,  and  the  atonement  is 
another  thing;  the  former  being  the  cause, 
and  the  latter  the  effeet.  In  human  lan- 
guage it  is  not  unusual  for  the  cause  and  its 
effect  to  receive  the  same  denomination. 


I'lIL  ATONEMENT.  27 

Thus  the  sensation  produced,  and  thvfire 
which  produces  it,  are  both,  though  very 
different  things,  denominated  heat.  So 
also  cold  signifies  the  cause  of  a  certain 
sensation  in  the  human  frame,  and  the  sen- 
sation  itself. 

Here  then  we  see  the  reason  why  the 
death  of  Christ  has  been  called  atonement: 
it  is  so  denominated  because  it  produces 
atonement,  or  reconciliation  between  God 
and  sinful  man;  and  as  it  has  produced  this 
glorious  effect  in  millions  of  instances,  it  is 
justly  entitled  to  this  appellation.  So  it 
may  be  called  in  reference  to  all  who  have 
been,  or  who  shall  be,  atoned  for,  recon- 
ciled to  God ;  but  with  what  propriety  can 
it  be  so  denominated  in  reference  to  indi- 
viduals who  never  will  be  reconciled  to  an 
offended  God  by  its  influence  ?  In  truth, 
the  death  of  Christ  is  an  atonement  to  no 
man,  before  it  has  been  applied ;  when  it 
has  been  applied  and  produced  its  effect, 
then,  and  not  till  then,  is  it  an  atonement 
to  him.  You  may  call  the  death  of  Christ 
a  satisfaction  to  public  justice,  an  amends 


88  LETTERS  ON 

for  sin,  a  substitution  for  our  sufferings ; 
still  this  reasoning  will  apply.  It  cannot 
be  a  satisfaction  for  those  who  perish  for 
ever  under  the  hand  of  Divine  justice ;  it 
cannot  be  an  amends  for  the  sins  of  those 
in  respect  to  whom  it  never  produces  this 
effect ;  it  cannot  be  a  substitute  for  the  suf- 
ferings of  those  who  suffer  for  ever  under 
the  penalty  of  the  law. 

We  have  admitted  the  merits  of  Christ's 
death,  or  of  the  atonement,  to  be  infinite, 
and  that  if  applied,  it  would  save  millions 
more  than  shall  ever  be  saved ;  but  it  will 
not  follow  that  the  atonement  was  made  for 
those  who  will  never  be  saved.  The  earth 
is  large  enough  to  have  sustained  many 
millions  of  inhabitants  more  than  have  ever 
lived  on  it,  and  probably  to  sustain  mil- 
lions more  than  will  ever  descend  from 
Adam:  but  on  this  account  it  cannot,  with 
any  propriety,  be  said,  that  it  was  made 
for  human  beings  who  shall  never  be 
created.  The  sun  is  large  and  luminous 
enough  to  send  his  beams  to  more  planets 
than  exist  in  the  solar  system,  and  to  en- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  29 

lighten  and  warm  their  inhabitants;  but,  on 
account  of  his  greatness  and  grandeur,  it 
could  not  be  said  with  any  propriety  that 
he  was  formed  to  enlighten  and  warm  in- 
habitants of  planets  that  shall  never  be 
created.  So  it  is  with  the  atonement;  al- 
though sufficient  in  value  for  all,  yet  it  was 
made  only  for  those  to  whom  it  shall  be 
applied,  only  for  believers  to  whom  the 
death  of  Christ  shall  become  an  atonement; 
and  not  for  sinners  to  whom  it  has  not  been, 
and  never  will  be,  applied ;  not  for  unbe- 
lieving sinners,  to  whom  the  death  of 
Christ  is  not,  and  will  never  be  atonement, 
or  a  cause  of  reconciliation. 

But  our  brethren  ask,  Do  not  all  men 
partake  of  benefits  resulting  from  the  death 
of  our  Redemer?  Are  they  not  in  better 
circumstances  than  they  would  have  been 
placed,  if  no  atonement  had  been  made  for 
our  fallen  race?  Does  not  the  commission 
given  by  Christ  to  his  ministers,  authorize 
them  to  preach  the  gospel  to  all  mankind? 
Are  not  all  who  hear  the  gospel  invited 
and  commanded  to  come  to  Christ?  And 
c  2 


30  LETTERS  ON 

will  not  the  guilt  and  punishment  of  those 
who  perish  in  Christian  lands  be  greatly 
increased  by  their  rejecting  the  offers  of 
salvation  through  a  Redeemer?  All  this 
we  readily  admit;  but,  as  our  brethren  be- 
lieve the  doctrine  of  election,  and  teach, 
not  only  that  the  atonement  will  never  be 
applied  to  those  who  finally  perish,  but 
also  that  Christ  did  not  die  with  an  inten- 
tion to  save  them,  all  this  will  not  amount 
to  an  atonement  for  them.  The  benefits 
referred  to  in  the  above  questions  are 
merely  the  collateral  benefits,  resulting  to 
others  from  the  atonement  made  for  be- 
lievers. 

In  conclusion,  after  all  that  has  been 
said  on  this  point,  we  arc  willing  to  admit, 
that  between  the  friends  of  a  definite,  and 
the  friends  of  a  general  atonement,  the 
difference  is  rather  verbal  than  real.  They 
both  agree  in  their  views  of  the  nature  of , 
this  mysterious  transaction.  With  them 
we  wish  to  have  no  dispute.  But  between 
the  advocates  of  the  definite  and  the  advo- 
cates of  the  indefinite  scheme3  the  differ- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  31 

ence,  in  regard  to  their  respective  views  of 
the  nature  of  the  atonement,  is  great,  as 
will  hereafter  appear. 

On  the  extent  of  the  atonement,  I  have 
insisted  so  largely,  because,  as  you  know, 
our  opponents  attempt  to  disparage  our 
doctrine,  by  representing  their  views  as 
more  liberal  than  ours;  but  it  has,  I  trust, 
been  shown,  that  the  atonement  they  advo- 
cate, though  called  universal,  is  not  more 
extensive  in  fact,  than  the  atonement  we 
advocate;  and  that  their  doctrine  on  the 
subject  has  no  advantage  whatever  in  this 
respect,  over  that  which  wc  maintain. 

Yours,  affectionately. 


32  LETTERS  OS 


LETTER  II. 


Offer  of  Salvation  in  jireaching  the 
Gospel. 

My  dear  Brother, 

At  the  close  of  the  preceding  letter  it  was 
admitted  that  between  the  definite  and  the 
general  atonement,  the  difference  is  verbal 
rather  than  real.  I  am  therefore  unwilling 
to  represent  three  theories  on  the  subject,  as 
prevailing  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  But 
as  the  word  general  seems  to  correspond 
with  the  term  indefinite,  better  than  it  does 
with  the  term  definite  ;  and  consequently 
intimates  that  the  advocates  of  a  general 
atonement  harmonize  more  in  their  views 
with  the  friends  of  an  indefinite,  than  with 
those  of  a  definite,  atonement;  it  may  be 
proper  to  state,  that  this  is  by  no  means  the 
fact.  By  turning  to  the  description  given 
of  the  opinions  of  the  new  school  on  this 
all-important  doctrine  of  divine  revelation, 


FHE  ATONEMENT.  do 

it  will  be  seen  that  it  does  not  at  all  suit  the 
views  of  those  who  have  been  known,  in 
the  Presbyterian  church,  as  the  advocates 
of  what  is  termed  a  general  atonement. 
For  they  believe,  as  well  as  we,  that  Christ 
was  the  substitute  of  his  people — that  he 
was  charged  with  their  sins — that  he  bore 
the  penalty  of  the  law — that  he  made  satis- 
faction to  the  justice  of  God  for  all  who 
shall  believe — In  fact  they  differ  from  us 
only  in  relation  to  the  terms  they  prefer,  in 
speaking  on  the  extent  of  the  atonement. 
While  they  maintain  that  Christ  died  espe- 
cially for  the  elect,  they  believe  that,  in  a 
certain  sense  he  died  for  others.  With  them, 
let  it  be  repeated,  we  wish  to  have  no  dis- 
pute. We  think  alike,  although  we  make 
choice  of  different  words,  in  communicating 
our  thoughts  in  regard  to  a  particular  point. 
The  comparison  I  am  drawing,  is  not  be- 
tween our  views  of  the  atonement  and  theirs ; 
but  between  ours  and  those  which  are  en- 
tertained on  this  great  subject,  by  persons 
whose  sentiments  were  stated  in  my  first 
letter,  and  who  are  usually  known  by  the 


34  LETTERS  ON 

name  of  Hopkinsians.  And  should  these 
letters  ever  meet  the  public  eye,  I  wish  the 
friends  of  a  general  atonement  to  see,  that 
I  am  not  contending  with  them,  but  op- 
posing certain  views  of  a  most  important 
doctrine,  which  they,  as  well  as  we,  believe 
to  be  unscriptural  and  dangerous. 

You  will  not,  my  dear  friend,  understand 
what  I  have  said  in  relation  to  the  heathen, 
in  my  first  letter,  as  representing  the  salva- 
tion of  all  who  are  destitute  of  the  light  of 
the  gospel,  as  being  impossible.  I  have  only 
said,  that  if  the  atonement  had  been  made 
for  all  mankind,  the  knowledge  of  it  would 
have  been  sent  to  all  nations ;  and  that,  as 
an  inspired  writer  has  expressly  represent- 
ed the  heathen  as  being  u  without  Christ, 
strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise, 
having  no  hope  and  without  God  in  the 
world"  it  is  altogether  improper  to  say,  a 
door  of  hope  has  been  opened  for  all  men 
— for  the  heathen,  who  are  destitute  of  di- 
vine revelation,  just  as  much  as  for  Chris- 
tians, to  whom  the  gospel  is  preached.  Still 
I  believe,  that,  as  infants,  who  are  inca- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  35 

pable  of  hearing  and  believing  the  gospel, 
are  saved,  not  as  being  free  from  guilt  and 
depravity,  but  through  the  atoning  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ;  so  some  of  the  heathen  may 
be  saved,  by  the  application  of  the  same 
precious  blood.  How  they  are  brought  to 
participate  in  the  salvation  of  Christ,  I  do 
not  know.  Jehovah  may,  if  he  please,  re- 
veal to  some,  at  any  time  he  chooses,  so 
much  of  the  gospel  as  may  be  sufficient  for 
the  exercise  of  faith.  But  in  whatever  way 
the  application  of  the  atonement  may  be 
made,  it  is  altogether  extraordinary.  Of 
the  means  of  grace,  the  heathen  are  ma- 
nifestly destitute  :  they  have  no  Bible,  no 
Sabbath,  no  gospel,  no  ministry  of  reconci- 
liation ;  they  are  ignorant  of  God  and 
Christ,  of  the  way  of  peace  and  salvation. 

In  my  former  letter,  the  two  theories  in 
regard  to  the  atonement,  that  prevail  in 
our  church,  were  compared,  in  regard  to  the 
extent  of  the  atonement.  It  was,  I  trust, 
fairly  shown,  that  the  new  has  no  advantage 
over  the  old  scheme  in  this  point ;  that  the 
greater  extent  which  is  attributed  to  inde- 


36  LETTERS  ON 

finite  atonement  is  nominal,  and  not  real ; 
and  that  the  definite  atonement,  in  respect  to 
the  merits  of  Christ's  death,  the  invitation 
of  the  gospel,  the  offers  of  salvation,  and 
the  divine  purpose,  is  quite  as  extensive  as 
the  other. 

II.  In  this  letter  I  propose  to  examine 
the  second  claim  of  the  Neiv  School ;  which 
is,  that  their  views  on  this  most  interest- 
ing subject  are  more  compatible  with  a 

FREE  AND  GENERAL  PREACHING  OF  THE 
GOSPEL,  AND  AN  UNFETTERED  AND  UNRE- 
SERVED OFFER  OF  SALVATION  TO  ALL  SIN- 
NERS. 

To  this  claim  we  cannot  yield.  It  is  a  mere 
gratuitous  assumption.  You  well  know, 
the  advocates  of  the  doctrine  on  this  funda- 
mental point  that  has  prevailed  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church  from  its  foundation  in  this 
country,  and  by  the  teaching  of  which  this 
church  grew  and  nourished  for  more  than 
a  century,  have  felt  no  embarrassment  in 
preaching  the  gospel  indiscriminately,  and 
offering  salvation  to  all,  to  whom  it  was  their 
privilege  to  bear  the  delightful  messages  of 
divine  grace. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  37 

With  the  utmost  freedom  have  they  pub- 
lished to  all  their  hearers,  the  great  and 
precious  truths  embodied  in  the  gospel. 
They  have  delighted  in  celebrating  the  infi- 
nite love  and  unmerited  mercy  of  Jehovah 
in  providing  salvation  for  sinners,  by  the 
mission  of  his  own  Son  into  our  fallen  and 
ruined  world  ;  and  in  proclaiming  the  grand 
and  fundamental  truth,  that  the  Redeemer, 
by  his  obedience  unto  death,  made  a  full 
satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  his  people,  and 
wrought  out  for  them  a  complete  justifying 
righteousness.  They  have  constantly  ex- 
hibited him  as  an  all-sufficient  Saviour,  able 
and  willing  to  save  unto  the  uttermost,  all 
that  will  come  unto  him;  assuring  their 
hearers  that  his  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin, 
and  that  his  righteousness  can  make  the 
vilest  sinner  righteous  in  the  eves  of  imma- 
culate Purity.  They  have  not  ceased  to 
invite  all  to  come  to  this  glorious  Redeem- 
er for  salvation  ;  urging  the  acceptance  of 
the  invitation,  by  showing  that  all  are 
commanded  to  believe  the  gospel  message, 
and  that  God  has  promised  that  he  will  cast 

D 


3S  LETTERS  ON 

out  none  who  come  to  him.  They  ground 
the  offer  of  salvation  on  the  atonement  of 
Christ;  and  proclaim  it  as  an  infallible  truth, 
that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall,  with- 
out a  single  exception,  be  saved.  And  to 
all  they  add  the  awful  truth,  that  all  who 
refuse  the  overtures  of  Divine  mercy,  and 
continue  in  unbelief,  will  burden  their  con- 
sciences with  aggravated  guilt,  and  bring 
down  upon  themselves  a  more  terrible  con- 
demnation. 

Now,  in  the  enunciation  of  these  truths, 
consists  the  preaching  of  the  gospel — in 
exhibiting  the  infinite  love  and  unmerited 
mercy  of  God  towards  our  fallen  world,  and 
in  setting  forth  the  death  and  righteousness 
of  his  Son,  as  sufficient  for  saving  the  vilest 
of  sinners,  and  every  one  who  believes ; 
and  in  grounding  on  the  merits  of  Immanu- 
el's  atonement,  a  full  and  free  offer  of  par- 
don and  life,  to  all  who  will  accept  of  them 
on  the  terms  prescribed  by  Infinite  Majesty. 

What  more  can  the  friends  of  indefinite 
atonement  add  ?  Will  they  reply — We  can 
assure  all  our  hearers  that.  Christ  died  for 


THE  ATONEMENT.  39 

Ihem  ?  But  in  what  sense  ?  Did  he  die  with 
an  intention  to  save  them  ?  No ;  he  died 
intentionally  to  save  the  elect  alone ;  God 
did  not  design  by  the  atonement  to  secure 
the  salvation  of  others.  And  how  does  this 
view  of  the  subject  show  the  consistency  of 
offering  salvation  to  all,  any  more  than  the 
view  we  take ;  who  represent  the  merits  of 
the  atonement  as  sufficient  for  all,  and  there- 
fore on  this  ground  offer  salvation  to  all 
who  will  accept  it?  Can  they  make  the 
offer  on  any  other  terms  ?  Can  they  tell  un- 
believers that  they  will  be  saved  ?  By  no 
means.  They  declare,  as  well  as  we,  that 
he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned  ;  and 
that  none  can  partake  of  the  saving  benefits 
of  Christ's  death,  unless  it  be  applied  by 
faith. 

It  will,  we  know,  be  said,  that  as  Christ, 
according  to  the  definite  scheme,  made 
atonement  only  for  his  elect,  the  offer  in 
preaching  the  gospel /,is  made  to  them  alone. 
But  this  is  a  groundless  assertion.  Minis- 
ters arc  not  entrusted  with  the  execution  of 
die  secret  purposes  of  Infinite  Wisdom  ;  nor 


40  LETTERS  OtS 

are  they  acquainted  with  the  elect  of  God^ 
any  further  than  he  is  pleased  to  designate 
them  by  the  bestowment  of  his  grace.  Elec- 
tion is  no  rule  to  them,  in  discharging  their 
official  duties.  They  must  publish  the  gos- 
pel to  all,  and  tender  salvation  to  all  indis- 
criminately ;  leaving  it  to  the  Most  High 
to  make  the  application,  and  to  call  his  cho- 
sen to  the  enjoyment  of  salvation,  in  his 
own  way  and  time. 

Still  it  may  be  objected,  that,  if  the  atone- 
ment has  not  been  made  for  all,  the  offer  of 
salvation  to  all  cannot  be  grounded  on  the 
atonement.  Why  not?  The  atonement  is, 
in  its  own  nature,  sufficient  for  all ;  and  if 
it  were  applied  to  all,  every  son  and  daugh- 
ter of  Adam  would  be  saved ;  but  because 
Jehovah,  in  his  adorable  sovereignty,  is 
pleased  to  apply  it  to  some,  and  not  to  all,  it 
certainly  does  not  follow  that  the  benefits  of 
it  cannot  be  offered  to  all. 

But  suppose,  it  may  be  said,  a  non-elect 
person  were  to  believe  in  Christ  and  accept 
the  offer  of  salvation  ;  would  he,  for  whom 
no  atonement  has  been  made,  be  saved? 


THE  ATONEMENT.  41 

Without  hesitation  I  answer  affirmatively ; 
just  as  I  would  say,  that  if  an  elect  per- 
son were  to  die  in  unbelief,  he  would  be 
damned. 

But,  before  I  assign  the  reasons  of  this 
answer,  it  may  be  proper  to  show  how  the 
same  difficulty  applies  to  the  scheme  of  the 
new  school.  They  believe  in  the  doctrine 
of  election  ;  they  say  Christ  died  intention- 
ally to  save  only  the  elect;  that  God  did 
not  design  to  secure  by  the  atonement  the 
salvation  of  any  other  men:  and  they  must 
admit  that  Christ  intercedes,  not  for  the 
world,  but  for  them  whom  God  has  given 
him.  Now,  we  ask,  suppose  a  non-elect 
person  were  to  believe,  would  he  be  saved? 
one  whom  they  say  Christ  did  not  die  in- 
tentionally  to  save;  one  whose  salvation 
God  did  not  design  to  secure  by  the  atone- 
ment; one  for  whom  the  great  High  Priest 
in  heaven  docs  not  intercede:  would  such 
a  person,  in  these  circumstances,  be  saved, 
if  he  were  to  believe?  Our  brethren  have 
to  meet  the  same  difficulty.  And  in  fact 
it  comes  in  the  way  of  every  one  who  ad- 
d  2 


42  LETTERS  0> 

mits  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  and  be- 
lieves that  the  application  of  the  atonement 
depends  on  his  sovereign  grace. 

But,  after  all,  cannot  the  difficulty  in  re- 
ference either  to  election,  or  to  a  definite 
atonement,  be  lessened,  if  not  solved? 
Election  secures  the  salvation  of  its  objects  3 
but  it  interposes  no  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
the  salvation  of  the  non-elect.  Jehovah 
will,  in  his  own  appointed  time  and  man- 
ner, bring  to  a  saving  union  with  his  Son, 
all  whom  he  has  destined  to  immortal 
glory ;  but  the  grace  which  he  is  pleased  to 
impart  to  his  chosen,  does  not  prevent 
others  from  repenting  and  believing,  as  he 
commands  them.  He  only  withholds  from 
them  what  they  have  no  right  to  claim  ;  yet,, 
if  in  obedience  to  his  command,  they  were 
to  repent  and  believe,  he  would  doubtless 
fulfil  to  them  the  promise  directed  to  all 
believers. 

These  observations  will  apply  to  the 
atonement.  Were  a  non-elect  person  to 
believe  in  Christ,  he  would  receive  all  the 
benefits  of  his  death ;  which,  in  that  case, 


THE  ATONEMENT.  43 

would  actually  become  to  him  an  atone- 
ment ;  for  let  it  be  remembered,  it  is  the 
application  of  his  death  that  makes  it  truly 
an  atonement  or  reconciliation.  The  pur- 
pose of  God  to  apply  the  merits  of  his  Son's 
death  to  his  chosen,  ensures  the  application 
to  them,  and  their  consequent  salvation; 
but  this  divine  purpose  does  not  create  any 
hindrance  to  others;  it  only  leaves  them  to 
the  influence  and  operation  of  their  native 
depravity  and  wicked  unbelief. 

The  answer  we  have  given  to  the  ques- 
tion, grounded  on  a  supposed  case  that  will 
never  happen,  can  be  justified  on  the  prin- 
ciples that  regulate  common  conversation, 
and  on  the  principles  that  governed  the 
language  of  inspired  teachers,  by  the  infal- 
lible connexion  between  faith  andsalvation^ 
and  by  the  nature  of  the  atonement — 

1 .  On  the  principles  that  regulate  com- 
vwn  conversation.  Of  a  man  who  has 
just  escaped  from  the  flames  that  consumed 
his  dwelling,  we  say,  he  would  have  pe- 
rished, if  he  had  slept  longer;  and  of  one 
lost  at  sea,  he  might  have  been  living;  if  he 


44  LETTERS  OK 

had  not  gone  on  that  voyage.  The  farmer 
says,  1  should  have  had  a  fine  crop,  had  it 
not  been  for  that  drought  which  withered 
my  grain;  and,  again,  I  should  have  made 
a  profitable  sale  of  my  articles,  if  the  mar- 
ket had  not  been  so  glutted.  Ten  thousand 
similar  observations  are  made ;  all  predi- 
cating a  different  state  of  things,  on  the 
supposition  that  the  cause  that  has  produced 
the  existing  state  of  things  had  not  occur- 
red. 

2.  The  "principles  that  governed  the 
language  of  inspired  teachers,  justify 
the  answer.  That  perverse  generation  of 
Israelites  that  came  out  of  Egypt,  failed  to 
enter  into  the  land  of  promise;  and  from 
the  event  it  is  certain  that  it  was  the  Di- 
vine intention  not  to  bring  them  into  the 
possession.  Yet  this  generation  was  com- 
manded and  encouraged  to  march  forward, 
and  take  the  promised  inheritance.  "Be- 
hold," said  Moses  to  them,  "  the  Lord  thy 
God  hath  set  the  land  before  thee:  go  up 
and  possess  it,  as  the  Lord  God  of  thy  la- 
thers hath  said  unto  thee ;  fear  not,  nei- 


11IL   ATONEMENT.  45 

ther  be  discouraged."  And  when  they 
were  dismayed  at  the  report  of  the  spies, 
their  leader  said,  "  Dread  not,  neither  be 
afraid  of  them.  The  Lord  your  God  which 
goeth  before  you,  he  shall  fight  for  you,  ac- 
cording to  all  that  he  did  for  you  in  Egypt 
before  your  eyes." — Deut.  i.  21,  29,  30. 

The  event  also  proved  it  to  be  the  secret 
purpose  of  Jehovah  to  establish  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  in  the  family  of  David;  yet 
hear  the  language  of  Samuel,  speaking 
under  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
on  the  supposition  that  Saul  had  been  obe- 
dient to  the  Divine  commandment :  "  And 
Samuel  said  to  Saul,  Thou  hast  done  fool- 
ishly:  thou  hast  not  kept  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  he  com- 
manded thee:  for  now  would  the  Lord 
have  established  thy  kingdom  upon  Israel 
for  ever.  But  now  thy  kingdom  shall  not 
continue:  the  Lord  hath  sought  him  a  man 
after  his  own  heart,  and  the  Lord  hath 
commanded  him  to  be  captain  over  his  peo- 
ple, because  thou  hast  not  kept  that  which 
the  Lord  commanded  thee." — 1  Sam.  xiii. 
13,  14. 


46  LETTERS  ON 

Tyre  and  Sidon,  the  Saviour  assures  us, 
would  have  repented  in  sackcloth  and  ashes, 
if  the  mighty  works  that  were  done  in  Cho- 
razin  and  Bethsaida  had  been  done  in  them; 
and  he  also  says,  that  if  the  mighty  works 
that  were  done  in  Capernaum  had  been 
done  in  Sodom,  it  would  have  continued  to 
his  day.— -Matt.  xi.  21,  23. 

When  Paul  was  in  danger  of  shipwreck, 
as  he  was  sailing  to  Rome,  he  was  assured, 
by  promise,  that  his  life  and  the  lives  of 
all  on  shipboard,  for  his  sake,  should  be 
preserved.  No  condition  was  annexed  to 
the  promise ;  it  was  absolute.  Yet  this  in- 
spired man,  who  had  unshaken  confidence 
in  Jehovah's  word,  when  he  saw  through 
the  sailors'  design  to  escape  with  the  boat, 
under  pretence  of  casting  out  anchors,  did 
not  hesitate  to  say  to  the  centurion  and  the 
soldiers  :  "  Except  these  abide  in  the  ship, 
ye  cannot  be  saved."  From  this  declara- 
tion we  may  unquestionably  infer,  that  they 
would  have  perished,  if  the  sailors'  design 
had  been  accomplished.  What  then  would 
have  become  of  the  promise  ?     But  Jeho- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  47 

vah  took  care  of  his  own  faithfulness,  The 
warning  of  Paul  produced  its  effect.  "  The 
soldiers  cut  off  the  ropes  of  the  boat,  and 
let  her  fall  off."  Thus  this  promise  of 
God,  like  his  other  promises,  was  accom- 
plished by  appropriate  means.  See  Acts 
xxvii.  22-25.  30-32.  See  also  2  Kings 
viii.  10.  ch.  xiii.  19. 

3.  Our  answer  can  be  justified  by  the 
certain  and  infallible,  connexion  which 
God  has  established  between  faith  and 
salvation.  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the 
life:  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he 
were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live :  and  whoso- 
ever liveth  and  believeth  on  me,  shall  never 
die."  "  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved."  But  I  need  not  cite  pas- 
sages to  prove  what  will  not  be  denied. 
Now,  this  infallible  connexion  between 
faith  and  salvation,  authorizes  a  minister  of 
the  gospel  to  assure  every  individual  to 
whom  he  preaches,  that  if  he  believe  he 
will  most  certainly  be  saved.  Jehovah  has 
pledged  his  word,  and  he  can  and  will  fulfil 
his  promise. 


48  LETTERS  ON 

4.  The  nature  of  the  Redeemer's  work 
will  justify  the  reply.  In  what  did  this 
work  consist?  In  his  obedience  unto  death 
in  our  nature ;  or  in  his  active  and  passive 
obedience.  In  regard  to  the  first  branch  of 
the  Saviour's  work,  it  is  manifest  that, 
while  obeying  the  precepts  of  the  Divine 
law,  in  the  room  and  stead  of  his  chosen 
people,  he  observed  them  as  perfectly,  and 
his  obedience  was  as  glorious,  as  if  he  had 
been  acting  as  the  representative  of  many 
millions  more.  And  in  regard  to  the  se- 
cond branch,  we  believe,  that  the  great 
Redeemer,  in  effecting  the  salvation  of  all 
who  shall  be  saved,  submitted  to  as  much 
humiliation,  and  endured  as  extreme  mi- 
sery, as  would  have  been  demanded  from 
him,  on  the  supposition  that  the  sins  of  all 
mankind  had  been  imputed  to  him.  He 
bore  the  curse  of  the  divine  law,  the  pu- 
nishment due  to  our  sins:  and  by  the  infi- 
nite dignity  of  the  sufferer,  more  ho- 
nour was  done  to  the  penalty  of  the  law, 
than  would  have  been  done  to  it  by  the 
everlasting  punishment  of  our  whole  race. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  49 

Hence  while  the  atonement  is  definite. 
being  intentionally  made  only  for  those 
given  to  Christ  by  the  Father  to  be  re- 
deemed by  him,  it  was  necessarily,  in  its 
oivn  nature  and  intrinsic  value,  sufficient 
for  the  salvation  of  every  son  and  daughter 
of  Adam. 

Now,  on  this  infinite  worth  of  the  atone- 
ment, are  grounded  the  general  invitations 
and  offers  of  the  gospel.  In  preaching,  we 
are  not  indeed  authorized  to  tell  every 
man  that  Christ  died  specifically  for  him, 
or  that  an  atonement  was  made  for  him  : 
but  we  are  authorized  to  say,  that  the  Son 
of  God  came  to  save  sinners  of  our  race: 
that  he  has,  in  our  nature  made  an  atone- 
ment for  sin,  suited  to  the  case  of  human 
sinners,  and  that,  in  its  intrinsic  value,  it  is 
infinite;  and  that  he  is  able  and  willing 
to  save  unto  the  uttermost,  all  that  will 
come  to  him.  On  this  basis  we  invite  all 
to  apply  to  him  for  salvation,  and  tender 
to  all  the  offers  of  Divine  mercy;  assuring 
them  that  if  they  will  accept  the  offers 
made,  they  shall  certainly  be  saved :  for 


50  LETTERS  ON 

the  mouth  of  the  Lord  has  uttered  the  pro- 
mise, and  it  cannot  fail  to  be  accomplished. 
It  will  follow,  then,  that  if  a  non-elect  per- 
son were  to  believe,  he  would  certainly  be 
saved. 

Let  this  be  further  illustrated,  by  advert- 
ing to  the  covenant  made  with  Adam,  who 
represented  all  his  natural  posterity.  Such 
was  the  nature  of  that  covenant  and  of  his 
representative  conduct,  that  had  his  poste- 
rity been  two-fold  more  numerous  than 
they  in  fact  will  be,  the  consequences  of 
his  disobedience  would  extend  to  them  the 
same  destructive  influence  that  will  reach 
all  who  shall  actually  descend  from  him. 
Similar  was  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of 
redemption,  and  of  the  work  of  obedience, 
done  by  the  Saviour  as  the  representative 
of  his  people.  Had  it  pleased  his  eternal 
Father  to  have  increased  the  number  given 
to  him  to  be  redeemed,  no  alteration  in  his 
work  of  suffering  and  obedience  would 
have  been  required. 

In  regard  to  Adam's  posterity  it  is  true, 
that  as  the  number  had  been  determined  on 


THE  ATONEMENT.  51 

before  his  apostacy,  the  number  could  not 
be  increased  after  that  fatal  event ;  because 
this  would  have  brought  evil  on  immortal 
beings  not  originally  represented  by  him, 
and  so  an  act  of  injustice  would  have  been 
done  to  them.  But  were  the  number  ap- 
pointed to  salvation  to  be  increased,  no  ob- 
jection could  be  made  to  the  increase  on 
the  score  of  injustice;  because  they  would 
be  made  partakers  of  a  benefit,  and  not  of 
an  injury.  Besides,  were  any  to  whom  it 
was  not  the  Divine  intention  to  apply  the 
merits  of  the  Redeemer's  death  to  believe, 
they  would,  by  their  faith,  be  brought  into 
a  saving  union  with  him;  and  consequently 
would  come  into  contact  with  that  blood 
that  cleanseth  from  all  sin,  and  gain  an  in- 
terest in  that  righteousness  "  which  is  unto 
all  and  upon  all  them  that  believe."  Thus 
united  to  Christ  and  interested  in  his  me- 
rits, they  would  be  sheltered  from  Divine 
wrath,  and  be  entitled  to  eternal  life. 
"  There  is  therefore,  now,  no  condemna- 
tion to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spi- 
rit." 


52  LETTERS  ON 

In  this  representation,  I  do  not  perceive 
any  inconsistency  with  the  statements  made 
ill  my  former  letter.  For  whatever  was 
said  in  regard  to  the  connexion  between 
the  death  of  Christ  and  the  Divine  inten- 
tion, it  was  shown,  that,  in  strictness  of 
speech,  the  death  of  Immanuel  is  not  an 
atonement  to  any  until  it  be  applied \ 
and  consequently  it  follows,  as  stated  above, 
that  it  will  infallibly  produce  reconciliation 
between  God  and  all  and  every  one,  with- 
out excepting  any  individual,  who  shall  be- 
lieve, and  thus  have  its  efficacy  applied  to 
his  soul. 

But  will  it  be  objected,  that,  on  the 
ground  on  which  we  represent  the  offers  of 
salvation  to  be  made  to  the  non-elect,  they 
might  be  made  to  devils  ?  We  think  not, 
for  two  reasons :  first,  because  our  commis- 
sion does  not  extend  to  them :  and  this  rea- 
son, our  brethren  must  allow,  precludes 
the  offers  of  salvation  to  damned  spirits, 
for  whom,  they  say,  the  atonement  was 
made:  and  secondly,  because  the  atonement 
is  not  suited  to  the  case  of  devils,  not  having 


THE   ATONEMENT.  53 

been  made  in  the  nature  of  angels,  but  in 
the  nature  of  man.  "  Forasmuch  then  as 
the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and 
blood,  he  also,  likewise  took  part  of  the 
same;  that  through  death  he  might  destroy 
him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is, 
the  devil ;  and  deliver  them  who  through 
death  were  all  their  life  long  subject  to 
bondage.  For  verily  he  took  not  on  him 
the  nature  of  angels;  but  he  took  on  him 
the  seed  of  Abraham.  Wherefore  in  all 
things  it  behooved  him  to  be  made  like 
to  his  brethren,  that  he  might  be  a  merci- 
ful and  faithful  High  Priest  in  things  per- 
taining to  God,  to  make  reconciliation  for 
the  sins  of  the  people/' — Heb.  ii.  14-17. 

It  now  appears,  I  trust,  that,  on  the  plan 
of  definite  atonement,  the  invitations  of  the 
gospel  can  be  most  sincerely  given  to  all 
who  hear  it  preached;  that  the  offers  of  sal- 
vation can  be  most  freely  and  unreservedly 
presented  to  all  who  will  accept  them;  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  all  to  believe,  because  Je- 
hovah commands  them  so  to  do ;  and  that 
those  who  refuse  the  overtures  of  mercy, 

E  2 


j4  letters  on 

and  wilfully  reject  an  offered  Saviour,  will 
be  justly  punished  for  their  unbelief,  as 
well  as  for  their  other  sins.  No  unbeliever 
will,  in  the  day  of  judgment,  be  able  to 
discover  in  our  views  of  the  atonement,  as 
its  opponents  imagine,  any  thing  insincere 
or  unreasonable,  on  which  to  found  a  fair 
excuse  for  unbelief.  It  will  then  appear, 
that  although  Christ  died  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  his  own  people,  yet,  if  others  had 
believed,  his  death  would  have  been  an 
atonement  to  them  also,  and  would  have 
saved  them  from  the  curse  of  God,  under 
which  they  must  for  ever  sink  in  hopeless 
misery. 

Addressing  the  Jews,  who  had  crucified 
the  Lord  of  glory,  Peter  said,  "Him  being 
delivered  by  the  determinate  counsel  and 
foreknowledge  of  God,  ye  have  taken,  and 
with  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and 
slain." — Acts.  ii.  23.  Here  it  is  affirmed, 
not  only  that  God  foreknew  how  the  Jews 
would  treat  his  Son,  but  that  he  did,  by  his 
determinate  counsel,  deliver  him  into 
their  hands;  and  yet  the  inspired  speaker 


THE  ATONEMENT.  55 

charges  on  the  consciences  of  his  hearers 
the  horrible  crime  of  having,  with  wicked 
hands,  seized  him,  and  put  him  to  death. 
Of  consequence,  sinners  can  derive  from 
the  secret  purpose  of  Jehovah,  no  excuse 
for  their  unbelief  and  wilful  rejection  of  an 
offered  Saviour. 

Very  affectionately,  yours,  &c, 


56  LETTERS  ON 


LETTER  III. 

Divine  Grace  in  the  Recovery  of  fallen 
Man. 

My  dear  Brother, 

In  my  last  letter  it  was,  I  hope,  fairly 
proved,  that  the  doctrine  of  the  new  school 
has  no  advantage  over  that  of  the  old,  in 
respect  to  a  general  and  free  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  and  an  unfettered  and  unre- 
served offer  of  salvation  to  all  men.  We 
can  invite  all  to  come  to  Christ,  as  sincerely 
as  any  of  our  brethren.  We  can  offer  sal- 
vation to  all,  as  freely  as  they;  and  hold 
out  as  many  inducements  and  encourage- 
ments to  incline  the  perishing  to  come  to 
the  munificent  feast  which  grace  has  pre- 
pared. We  can  exhibit  the  promises  in  all 
their  fulness  and  riches,  as  well  as  they ; 
and  thunder  out  the  denunciations  of  a 
righteous  God,  against  all  who  disbelieve 
the  gospel  and  reject  the  Saviour. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  57 

III.    But    the  advocates   of   indefinite 

atonement  claim  that  their  views  corres- 
pond best  with  the  freeness  and  sove- 
reignty of  divine  grace,  displayed  in 
the  recovery  of  fallen  man. 

They  contend  that  to  represent  the  death 
of  Christ  as  a  real  and  complete  satisfaction 
to  divine  justice  for  the  sins  of  his  people, 
is  to  set  aside  the  grace  of  God  in  their 
salvation.  If,  say  they,  salvation  was  really 
purchased  for  them  by  the  Redeemer's  sa- 
crifice, then  salvation  must  be  granted  to 
them  as  a  matter  of  debt,  and  not  as  a  free 
and  gratuitous  gift ;  and  besides,  as  the 
price  has  been  paid  and  accepted,  justice  re- 
quires that  all  for  whom  it  was  paid,  should 
be  immediately  justified  and  released  from 
captivity. 

In  reply  to  the  latter  part  of  this  state- 
ment, I  shall  here  observe  briefly,  that  the 
scheme  sketched  by  the  wisdom  of  our  op- 
ponents, is  not  the  plan  devised  by  infinite 
wisdom.  That  sinners  should  be  justified 
before  they  were  born,  and  be  released 
from  condemnation  as  soon  as  they  came 


58  LETTERS  DM 

into  the  world,  was  no  part  of  Jehovah's 
plan.  It  was  the  pleasure  both  of  the  Fa- 
ther who  gave  them  to  his  Son  to  be  re- 
deemed, and  of  his  Son  who  bought  them 
with  his  blood,  that  they  should  remain 
under  the  curse  of  the  law,  until  they  should 
believe  on  the  Redeemer.  Then,  and  not 
till  then,  are  they,  or  can  they  be,  justified. 
This  was  the  plan  of  infinite  wisdom;  and 
so  it  is  drawn  by  the  pen  of  inspiration. 
Christ  paid  the  price  of  our  redemption, 
that  the  benefits  of  it  might  be  applied  to 
his  people  in  the  way  and  time  determined 
on  by  divine  sovereignty:  and  surely  he 
had  a  right  to  arrange  the  economy  of  sal- 
vation, as  was  most  pleasing  to  himself. 

In  regard  to  the  former  part  of  the  state- 
ment, examination  will  show,  that  the  ob- 
jection, if  it  have  any  force,  will  apply  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  new,  as  well  as  to  that 
of  the  old  school.  Man  was  fallen;  and 
God,  in  infinite  mercy,  determined  to  save 
him.  But  a  mighty  obstacle  was  in  the 
way  of  his  salvation.  It  must  be  removed, 
or  man  must  perish.     None  in  heaven  or  on 


THE   ATONEMENT.  §9 

earth,  among  all  the  creatures  of  God,  is 
able  to  remove  it.  The  Son  of  God  alone 
is  equal  to  the  stupendous  undertaking; 
and  even  he  can  accomplish  it  in  no  other 
way  than  by  humiliation  the  most  profound, 
and  sufferings  the  most  overwhelming. 
His  obedience  unto  death  is  required,  to 
make  it  consistent  for  a  righteous  God  to 
exercise  his  mercy  in  saving  sinful  men. 
Now,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  inspired 
writers  speak  of  the  Saviour's  death  as  an 
invaluable  price,  by  which  his  people  were 
purchased.  "For,"  says  Paul,  "ye  are 
bought  with  a  price:  therefore,  glorify  God 
in  your  body  and  in  your  spirit,  which  are 
God's."  1  Cor.  vi.  20.  By  the  same  mo- 
tive does  Peter  enforce  a  holy  and  heavenly 
conversation :  "  Forasmuch  as  ye  know 
that  ye  were  not  redeemed  with  corruptible 
things,  as  silver  and  gold,  from  your  vain 
conversation  received  by  tradition  from 
your  fathers;  but  with  the  jjrecious  blood 
of  Christ  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish  and 
without  spot."     1  Pet.  i.  IS,  19. 

By  his  death  we  say  that  Christ  satisfied 


GO  LETTERS  ON 

divine  justice  for  all  true  believers:  and 
our  brethren  say,  by  his  death  Christ  made 
an  exhibition  of  divine  justice,  and  satisfied 
jiublic  justice,  so  that  God  can  now  save 
all  who  believe.  But  if  we  view  his  death 
in  either  light,  it  will  appear  that  it  was  the 
procuring  cause  of  our  salvation;  and  that 
without  the  intervention  of  his  fearful  suf- 
ferings, none  of  our  guilty  race  could  have 
been  saved.  The  death  of  Christ  our  bre- 
thren represent  as  being  a  substitute  for 
our  sufferings,  and  some,  if  not  all,  will 
allow  it  to  have  been  an  equivalent  for 
them.  If  then  the  justice  of  God,  (call  it 
what  you  will,  public  or  distributive,)  re- 
quired the  amazing  sufferings  of  his  own 
Son  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  he,  by 
them,  actually  satisfied  the  demands  of  jus- 
tice; where,  to  adopt  their  own  language, 
we  ask,  is  the  free  and  sovereign  grace  of 
God  in  a  salvation  thus  dearly  bought? 
The  objection  then  applies  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  new  school,  as  well  as  to  that  of  the 
old. 

When  it  is  affirmed  that  sinners  are  saved 


THE  ATONEMENT.  61 

by  absolute  grace,  our  brethren  do  not 
mean  that  salvation  is  bestowed  on  them 
ivithout  respect  to  the  atonement  of 
Christ ;  for  they  affirm  an  atonement  to 
have  been  so  necessary,  that  none  of  our 
sinful  race  could,  without  the  death  of 
Christ,  have  been  saved  consistently  with 
the  glory  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  uni- 
verse. Where  then,  we  again  ask,  is  the 
grace  of  God,  in  salvation  procured  by  so 
costly  a  sacrifice  ? 

A  writer,  I  know  not  where  to  place 
him,  says,  if  I  understand  him,  that  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  were  not  a  full  equiva- 
lent for  the  execution  of  the  penalty  of  the 
law  on  those  who  are  saved;  because  this 
would  be  destructive  to  the  grace  of  God 
in  our  salvation.  Now,  if  this  objection 
have  any  weight,  it  must  depend  on  the 
assumption,  that  so  far  as  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  were  necessary  to  our  salvation,  the 
grace  of  God  is  diminished :  because  if  a 
full  equivalent  for  our  sufferings,  or  a  com- 
plete substitution  for  them,  be  wholly  in- 
consistent with  the  freeness  and  sovereignty 

F 


62  LETTERS  ON 

of  divine  grace,  then,  for  the  same  reason, 
a  partial  equivalent,  or  a  partial  substitu- 
tion for  them  must  be,  in  its  degree,  incon- 
sistent with  the  freeness  and  sovereignty  of 
divine  grace.  What  consequence  follows? 
Clearly  this :  if  we  had  been  saved,  with- 
out the  intervention  of  the  death  of  Christ, 
by  a  sovereign  act  of  Jehovah  in  remitting 
our  sins,  there  would  have  been  a  more 
glorious  display  of  free  and  sovereign 
grace.  But  who  that  has  read  the  scrip- 
tures attentively,  does  not  know  that  such 
a  conclusion  would  be  at  war  with  the 
strains  in  which  they  celebrate  redeeming 
love?  Do  they  not  teach  us  to  consider 
the  method  of  saving  sinners,  through  the 
humiliation  and  death  of  the  Son  of  God, 
as  affording  the  highest  display  of  divine 
love  and  mercy?  Hear  our  Lord  himself: 
"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life."  Hear  his  Apostle  John  : 
"  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love  of  God,  be- 
cause he  laid  down  his  life  for  us."     "  In 


THE  ATONEMENT.  63 

this  was  manifested  the  love  of  God  toward 
us,  because  that  God  sent  his  only  begotten 
Son  into  the  world,  that  we  might  live 
through  him.  Herein  is  love;  not  that 
we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and 
sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins."  Now,  these  declarations  are 
manifestly  based  on  the  fact,  that  a  richer 
and  more  glorious  display  of  divine  love 
has  been  made  in  our  salvation,  through 
the  incarnation,  sufferings  and  death  of 
Christ,  than  could  have  been  made  in 
saving  sinners  without  so  costly  a  sacrifice; 
and  that  grace  is  magnified,  not  in  propor- 
tion as  the  Saviour's  sufferings  are  dimi- 
nished, but  rather  in  proportion  as  they  are 
increased.  The  exhibition  of  the  Father's 
love  brightens  at  every  step  in  his  Son's 
humiliation;  and  shines  with  the  greatest 
splendour,  when  the  Lord  of  glory,  in  the 
midst  of  the  preternatural  darkness,  suffer- 
ing under  the  hidings  of  his  Father's  face, 
is  heard  to  exclaim,  "  My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  and  then 
bows  his  head  and  gives  up  the  ghost. 


64  LETTERS  ON 

This  objection,  then,  militates  against 
the  plain  language  of  holy  scripture,  which 
teaches  us,  that,  if  we  would  form  exalted 
views  of  Jehovah's  infinite  love  and  sove- 
reign grace,  we  are  not  to  diminish  the 
Redeemer's  sufferings,  but  look  at  them  in 
all  the  extent  of  agony,  terror  and  dismay 
to  which  they  were  carried  by  divine  jus- 
tice. "He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son, 
but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all;  how  shall 
he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all 
things?" 

We  believe,  my  dear  sir,  you  well  know, 
all  the  benefits  of  salvation  to  be  the  fruits 
of  Christ's  death,  and  purchased  by  him 
for  all  who  will  accept  them ;  and  yet,  in 
perfect  consistency,  we  believe7  that  they 
all  flow  from  unmerited  grace  and  infinite 
love.  Both  these  propositions  are  plainly 
taught  in  holy  scripture. 

1.  The  inspired  writers  represent  every 
blessing  of  salvation  as  the  fruit  of  Christ's 
death. 

Forgiveness  is  the  fruit  of  his  death 
"la  whom  we  have  redemption  through 


HIE   ATONEMENT.  65 

his  bloody  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  ac- 
cording to  the  riches  of  his  grace.''''  Ephes. 
i.  4.  "And  be  ye  kind  one  to  another, 
tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another,  even 
as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven 
you."  Ephes.  iv.  3.  Reconciliation  is 
the  fruit  of  his  death;  "And  all  things  are 
of  God,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself 
by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given  to  us  the 
ministry  of  reconciliation,  to  wit;  that  God 
was  in  Cftrist  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto 
them."  2  Cor.  v.  18,  19.  "And,  having 
made  peace  through  the  blood  of  his  cross, 
by  him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  him- 
self; by  him,  I  say,  whether  they  be  things 
in  earth,  or  things  in  heaven.  And  you, 
that  were  sometime  alienated,  and  enemies 
in  your  mind  by  wicked  works,  yet  now 
hath  he  reconciled,  in  the  body  of  his  flesh 
through  death,  to  present  you  holy,  and 
unblameable  and  unreprovable  in  his  sight." 
Col.  i.  20-22.  Justification  is  the  fruit 
of  his  death.  "  Being  justified  freely  by 
his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is 
f  a 


66  LETTERS  ON 

in  Christ  Jesus."  Rom.  iii.  23.  Peace  is 
the  fruit  of  his  death.  "But  now,  in 
Christ  Jesus,  ye  who  sometimes  were  afar 
off  are  made  nigh  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 
For  he  is  our  peace,  who  hath  made  both 
one,  and  hath  broken  down  the  middle 
wall  of  partition  between  us."  Ephes.  ii, 
13,  14.  Adoption  is  the  fruit  of  his  death. 
"But  when  the  fulness  of  time  was  come, 
God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman, 
made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that 
were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive 
the  adoption  of  sons."  Gal.  iv.  4,  5. 
Sanctification  is  the  fruit  of  his  death. 
"  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as 
Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave  him- 
self for  it,  that  he  might  sanctify  and 
cleanse  it  by  the  washing  of  water,  by  the 
word."  Ephes.  v.  25,  26.  The  heavenly 
inheritance  is  a  fruit  of  his  death.  "  And 
for  this  cause  he  is  the  mediator  of  the  New 
Testament  that,  by  means  of  death,  for  the 
redemption  of  the  transgressions  that  were 
under  the  first  Testament,  they  which  aie 
tailed  might  receive  the  promise  of  eternal 


THE  ATONEMENT.  «)7 

inheritance."  Heb.  ix.  15.  "For  the 
wages  of  sin  is  death ;  but  the  gift  of  God  is 
eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord." 

From  these  texts  of  holy  scripture,  it 
appears  undeniable,  that  all  the  blessings  of 
salvation  come  to  us  as  fruits  of  the  Re- 
deemer's death ;  and  as  his  death  was  the 
price  which  he  paid  for  them,  it  must  con- 
clusively follow,  that  they  were  all  pur- 
chased for  believers  by  his  death. 

2.  But  the  inspired  writers,  while  they 
teach  this  truth  so  fully,  teach  with  equal 
plainness  and  fulness,  that  all  the  blessings 
of  salvation  are  the  fruits  of  free  and 
sovereign  grace.  In  the  present  discussion 
it  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  any  laboured 
proof  of  this  point ;  because  it  is  freely  and 
cordially  admitted  by  our  brethren,  from 
whom  we  differ  in  our  views  of  the  atone- 
ment. Were  proof  required,  it  might,  by 
an  induction  of  particulars,  be  shown  that 
each  benefit  of  salvation  is  attributed  to  the 
free  and  abounding  grace  of  God.  "  By 
grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith ;  and  that 


68  LETTERS  ON 

not  of  yourselves:  it  is  the  gift  of  God." 
Ephes.  ii.  8.  "Not  by  works  of  righteous- 
ness which  we  have  done,  but  according  to 
his  mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of 
regeneration  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  which  he  shed  on  us  abundantly 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour;  that 
being  justified  by  his  grace,  we  should  be 
made  heirs  according  to  the  hope  of  eter- 
nal life."     Tit.  iii.  5—7. 

Now,  as  the  scriptures  teach  us  that  we 
are  saved  by  the  death  of  Christ,  or  that  all 
the  blessings  of  salvation  were  purchased 
by  his  blood ;  and  teach  us  also  that  we  are 
saved  by  free  grace,  or  that  all  the  bless- 
ings of  salvation  flow  from  unmerited  mer- 
cy,  if  there  be  any  difficulty  in  reconciling 
these  two  doctrines  so  fully  and  distinctly 
taught  in  the  Scriptures,  the  difficulty  ma- 
nifestly grows  out  of  the  revelation  of  an 
omniscient  God.  It  is  our  duty  in  humble 
submission  to  his  infallible  teaching,  to  re- 
ceive both  truths,  how  irreconcilable  soever 
they  may  appear  to  our  feeble  understand- 
ings.    A  little  more  light,  and  difficulties 


LHE  ATONEMENT.  60 

of  this  kind  would  vanish.  What  myste- 
rious doctrine  of  the  Bible  would  be  re- 
ceived by  us,  if  it  were  not  received  till  all 
difficulties  attached  to  it  were  removed? 
Who  can  fully  explain  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity ',  the  doctrine  of  the  incarnation 
of  the  Son  of  God,  the  doctrine  of  divine 
influence?  Yet  every  Christian  believes 
them. 

But  the  Scriptures  contemplate  no  diffi- 
culty in  regard  to  these  two  important 
truths;  they  consider  them  as  perfectly 
consistent  and  harmonious:  for  they  exhibit 
them  in  close  connexion  in  the  same  verses; 
as  will  appear  from  a  reference  to  the 
texts  just  quoted.  "  In  whom  we  have  re- 
demption through  his  blood,  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his 
grace"  Here  the  blood  of  Christ  is  repre- 
sented as  the  price  of  our  redemption  ;  and 
yet  forgiveness  is  represented  as  flowing 
from  the  riches  of  divine  grace.  Again: 
"  Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace 
through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus."  Here  justification  is  attributed  to 
the  free   grace  of  God;   and  at  the  same 


70  LETTERS  OK 

time  it  is  attributed  to  the  redemption  of 
Christ,  or  to  his  blood,  which  is  the  jirice 
of  our  redemption.  Again  :  "That  as  sin 
hath  reigned  unto  death,  even  so  might 
grace  reign  through  righteousness  unto 
eternal  life."  What  is  the  meaning  of  this 
passage?  Plainly  this:  As  sin,  the  pro- 
curing cause  of  every  evil,  reigns  in  all  the 
calamities  brought  on  our  guilty  world, 
and  extends  its  destructive  ravages  unto 
death;  so  grace,  the  original  spring  of  our 
salvation,  reigns,  through  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  the  procuring  cause  of  every 
blessing,  from  the  beginning  to  the  con- 
summation of  salvation. 

We  cannot,  my  dear  brother,  but  feel  sur- 
prised that  any  should  apprehend  an  incon- 
sistency between  the  two  propositions — 
that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  the  pro- 
curing cause,  and  divine  grace  the  original 
spring,  of  our  salvation. 

The  scriptures,  you  know,  set  our  ivorks 
and  the  grace  of  God  in  opposition ;  and 
represent  salvation  by  works,  and  salvation 
by  grace  as  being  wholly  incompatible. 
"  And  if  by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more  of 


THE   ATONEMENT.  71 

works :  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace. 
But  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more 
grace  :  otherwise  work  is  no  more  work." 
Rom.  xi.  6.  But,  while  this  opposition 
between  grace  and  our  works,  as  the  pro- 
curing cause  of  salvation,  is  abundantly  ex- 
hibited by  the  inspired  writers,  no  where, 
not  in  a  single  passage,  do  they  set  the 
grace  of  God  in  opposition  to  the  ivorks  or 
righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ. 

To  the  great  Redeemer  the  covenant  of 
redemption  was  indeed  a  covenant  of  works. 
His  obedience  unto  death  was  the  very 
work  the  law  demanded  of  him  as  our 
Surety  ;  and  consequently  to  Him  the  re- 
ward was  not  of  grace,  but  of  debt ;  a  re- 
ward secured  by  the  promise  of  his  Father 
to  him,  for  the  glorious  services  he  had  done 
in  execution  of  his  mediatorial  office.  At 
the  close  of  life,  when  offering  up  his  inter- 
cessory prayer  for  his  church,  he  could  say 
"  Father  1  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth ; 
I  have  finished  the  work  thou  gavest  me  to 
do :"  and  on  the  ground  of  his  obedience 
utter  that  divine  language,  "  Father,  I  will, 
that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be 


12  LETTERS  ON 

with  me  where  I  am ;  that  they  may  behold 
my  glory,  which  thou  hast  given  me  ;  for 
thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  John  xvii.  4,  24. 
But  to  us  the  covenant  is  ivholty  of  grace: 
inasmuch  as  it  secures  to  us  all  the  blessings 
of  salvation,  not  on  the  footing  of  our  own 
works,  but  on  the  footing  of  our  Redeemer's 
righteousness.  All  is  the  fruit  of  grace.  It 
was  grace  that  planned  our  salvation.  It  was 
grace  that  chose  us  in  Christ  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world.  It  was  grace  that 
accepted  the  mediation  of  Christ.  It  was 
grace  that  provided  the  Mediator  in  the  per- 
son of  God's  own  son.  It  was  grace  that 
revealed  the  wonderful  plan  of  redemption. 
It  is  grace  that  offers  salvation,  and  grace 
that  applies  it.  It  is  grace  that  remits  our 
sins  and  justifies  us  when  we  believe  in 
Christ.  It  is  grace  that  begins  the  work  of 
sanctification  ;  grace  that  carries  it  on ;  and 
grace  that  crowns  it  with  glory.  To  our 
own  salvation  we  do  not  contribute  a  parti- 
cle of  merit.  It  is  not  for  our  righteous- 
ness, but  purely  for  the  righteousness  of 
(fhrist  that  we  are  saved.      I  am,  &c. 


Tirr    ATONEMENT.  73 


LETTER  IV 


Objections  Jlmwered, 

My  Dear  Brother, 

The  object  I  had  in  view  in  my  last,  was 
to  show  how  well  our  doctrine  of  the  atone- 
ment corresponds  with  a  full  and  glorious 
display  of  the  free  and  sovereign  grace  of 
God  in  man's  salvation. 

In  this,  I  propose  to  resume  that  subject, 
by  replying  to  some  of  the  objections  urged 
in  recent  publications. 

To  illustrate  the  entire  harmony  between 
the  grace  of  God  in  our  salvation,  and  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  as  its  procuring  cause, 
the  subject  may  be  viewed  in  a  different 
light  from  that  in  which  it  has  already  been 
presented. 

Speaking  of  the  great  Redeemer,  the 
writer  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  says, 
"  Though  he  were  a  Son,  yet  learned  he 
obedience  by  the  things  which  he  suffered: 


74  LETTERS   ON 

and  being  made  perfect,  he  became  the  au- 
thor of  eternal  salvation  unto  all  that  obey 
him."  Heb.  v.  8,  9.  Salvation,  then,  is  the 
work  of  Christ ;  and  consequently  the  whole 
of  it  from  beginning  to  the  end  must  be  at- 
tributed to  his  grace.  All  its  blessings  are 
deposited  in  his  hands;  and  He  distributes 
them  as  he  pleases.  Hence  it  is  recorded, 
"  Of  His  fulness  have  all  we  received,  and 
grace  for  grace:"  John  i.  16;  and  he  him- 
self says,  "  As  thou,  Father,  hast  given  him 
power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  should  give 
eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou  hast  given 
him."  John  xvii.  2.  He  is  the  inexhaustible 
fountain  from  which  all  blessings  flow  to 
believing  sinners.  "Our  life  is  hid  with 
Christ  in  God."  Col.  iii.  3.  Heisthewme 
that  bears  all  the  branches,  and  imparts  to 
them  life  and  fruitfulness.  John  xv.  5,  6. 
He  is  the  Head,  from  which  all  vital  influ- 
ence is  derived  to  every  member  of  his  mys- 
tical body.  Col.  ii.  19.  "I  am  crucified 
with  Christ:  nevertheless  I  live;  yet  not 
I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me  :"  Gal.  ii.  20.  "I 
give   unto"  my  sheep   "eternal   life;  and 


THE    ATONEMENT.  75 

they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any 
pluck  them  out  of  my  hand."  John  x.  28. 
It  is  plain,  then,  that  Christ  both  procur- 
ed salvation  for  us,  and  distributes  all  its 
blessings  according  to  his  sovereign  pleasure. 
But  shall  we  imagine  his  grace  to  be  less 
free  and  glorious,  because  he  became  obedi- 
ent unto  death,  in  order  that  he  might  be- 
come the  author  of  eternal  salvation  unto  all 
who  obey  him  ?  Do  we  owe  him  less,  be- 
cause he  fulfilled  the  law  in  our  place,  and 
satisfied  all  the  demands  of  justice  against  us 
by  enduring  the  penalty  due  to  sin  ?  Would 
his  grace  have  been  more  free,  more  conspi- 
cuous, more  illustrious,  if  he  had  humbled 
himself  less,  and  suffered  less,  in  accomplish- 
ing our  salvation  ?  Let  an  inspired  writer 
answer  these  questions :  "  Ye  know  the 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that,  though 
he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became 
poor,  that  ye,  through  his  poverty,  might 
be  rich."  2  Cor.  viii.  9.  "  The  life  which 
I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of 
the  Son  of  God  who  loved  me,  and  gave 
himself  for  me."    Gal.  ii.  20.    It  is  in  the* 


7<J  LETTERS  ON 

depth  of  that  humiliation  to  which  the  great 
Redeemer  submitted,  and  in  the  greatness  of 
those  sufferings  which  he  endured  for  our 
sins,  that  the  riches  of  his  grace,  and  the 
fervency  of  his  love  are  to  be  seen  to  the 
best  advantage ;  and  it  is  from  the  purchase 
he  made  of  salvation  for  us,  while  hanging 
on  the  accursed  tree,  that  the  strongest  mo- 
tive to  obedience  is  drawn.  "  For  ye  are 
bought  with  a  price:  therefore  glorify  God 
in  your  body  and  in  your  spirit,  which  are 
God's."  lCor.  vi.  20.  "The  love  of  Christ 
constrainethus;  because  we  thus  judge,  that 
if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead  :  and 
that  he  died  for  all,  that  they  which  live 
should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves, 
but  unto  him  which  died  for  them,  and  rose 
again."    2  Cor.  v.  14,  15. 

Now,  if  the  sufferings  of  Christ  for  our 
salvation  do  not  detract  from  his  grace  in 
saving  us;  and  if  the  payment  of  his  life  as 
the  price  of  our  redemption  is  not  at  all 
inconsistent  with  his  love  in  redeeming  us, 
nor  with  his  sovereign  pleasure  in  bestow- 
ing redemption  on  sinners  ;  then  it  will  fol- 


THE    A  KiM.MF.NT.  77 

low  tliat  his  sufferings  do  not  detract  from 
his  Father's  grace,  and  that  the  payment  of 
the  inestimable  price  he  made  is  not  incon- 
sistent with  his  Father's  love  in  our  salva- 
tion, and  does  not  at  all  infringe  upon  his 
adorable  sovereignty  in  its  application ;  be- 
cause the  Father  and  the  Son,  being  one  in 
nature  and  perfections,  are  most  perfectly 
harmonious  in  all  their  counsels,  designs, 
and  operations.  But  this  idea  will  receive 
a  fuller  illustration,  when  the  objection  re- 
ferred to  is  taken  up. 

Previously  to  that,  let  us  see  how  the 
difficulty  is  removed  by  the  new  doctrine, 
and  how  its  advocates  harmonize  the  jus- 
tice and  the  grace  of  God  displayed  in  the 
salvation  of  sinful  men.  While  they  admit 
that,  by  the  death  of  Christ,  public  justice 
was  satisfied,  they  maintain  that  dist?*ibu- 
tive  justice  is  not  satisfied.  They  further 
say  that  u  public  justice  demands  that  the 
greatest  good  of  the  universe  should  be 
promoted,  that  the  greatest  possible  sum  of 
happiness  among  intelligent  beings  should 
g  2 


LETTERS  ON 

be  brought  into  existence;"*  consequently 
public  justice  demands  the  salvation  of  all 
who  believe  in  Christ.  Now,  here  is  the 
very  difficulty  to  which  they  object  in  the 
doctrine  of  the  old  school:  for  \i  justice 
demands  the  salvation  of  believers,  where, 
to  use  their  language,  is  the  grace  display- 
ed in  the  salvation  of  sinners?  How  can 
they  be  saved  by  grace,  if  they  are  saved 
by  justice?  But,  it  has  been  shown,  ac- 
cording to  our  views  of  the  scheme  of  re- 
demption, that  grace  and  justice  perfectly 
harmonize.  Our  brethren,  however,  by 
trying  to  get  rid  of  what  seemed  to  them 
an  insuperable  objection,  have  created  a 
real  difficulty.  They  represent  the  justice 
of  God  as  at  once  demanding  the  salvation 
and  the  damnation  of  believers:  for  it  will 
scarcely  be  denied,  that  both  public  and 
distributive  justice  are  the  justice  of  one 
and  the  same  divine  Being.  Distributive 
justice  they  say,  i •'  demands  that  every  per- 
son should  be  treated  according  to  his 
moral    character,"   and    "  that    the   guilty 

*  Dial,  on  Alonemcnl,  p. 


THE  ATONEMEN  1  /0 

should  be  punished."*  It  follows,  there- 
fore, that  as  believers  will  for  ever  remain, 
as  they  teach,  guilty  even  in  heaven,  that 
distributive  justice  will  eternally  demand 
their  punishment.  But  the  demands  of 
public  justice,  it  seems,  will  prevail  over 
the  demands  of  distributive  justice;  and 
consequently  the  public  justice  of  God  will 
forever  preserve  all  believers  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  heavenly  happiness,  in  opposition 
to  the  unceasing  demands  of  his  distribu- 
tive justice.  So  much  for  this  scheme  of 
removing  the  difficulty. 

In  a  recent  publication,  I  have  met  with 
the  following  remarks:  "And  if  Christ  has 
suffered  that  very  penalty  involved  in  the 
eternal  condemnation  of  the  elect,  as  some 
contend,  then  they  ought  to  be  liberated 
on  the  principles  of  the  law.  Their  debt 
is  paid.  There  is  but  one  being  in  the 
universe  to  whom  these  persons  would  be 
indebted  for  their  release;  and  that  is  the 
friend  who  paid  their  debt,  or  suffered  the 

'  Dial,  on  Atonement,  p.  29, 


SO  LEMURS  ok 

penalty  of  the  law  in  their  stead.'1*  Bold 
assertions  indeed!  The  writer  is  led  to 
the  conclusion  he  has  here  formed,  merely 
by  pushing  a  metaphor  far  beyond  the  li- 
mits intended  by  those  who  use  it.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  disciples  of  the  old 
school  illustrate  the  doctrine  of  the  atone- 
ment by  referring  to  transactions  occurring 
between  debtor  and  creditor.  With  this 
illustration  they  have  been  furnished  by  the 
Saviour  himself;  as  will  appear  from  the 
petition  prescribed  by  him,  "Forgive  us 
our  debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors;"  and 
from  the  parable  he  spake  about  the  ser- 
vant who  owed  his  Lord  ten  thousand  ta- 
lents. Here  the  Redeemer  compares  sins 
to  debts,  and  the  forgiveness  of  them  to 
the  remission  of  a  debt  by  a  creditor. 

It  is  a  feature  of  the  old  school  divinity, 
of  which  it  is  hoped  its  pupils  will  never 
be  ashamed,  and  one  in  which  they  differ 
from  most  of  the  new  school  writers,  that 
they  are  fond  of  the  language  of  scripture, 
and    have  little  regard  to  any  theological 

'     IiCITlHll,  J).    H. 


1  UK  ATONEMENT. 

reasonings  which  are  not  clearly  sanctioned 
by  the  authority  of  the  inspired  penmen. 
In  regard  to  the  point  before  us,  it  should 
be  remembered  that  not  only  do  we  find 
such  expressions  and  illustrations  in  the 
New  Testament  as  those  already  quoted, 
but  such  as  the  following:  "Ye  are  not 
your  own,  for  ye  are  bought  with  a  price" 
1  Cor.  vi.  19,  20.  "  Ye  are  bought  ivith 
a  price,  be  not  ye  the  servants  of  men." 
1  Cor.  vii.  23.  "  Denying  the  Lord  that 
bought  them"  2  Pet.  ii.  1.  Nay,  the 
whole  work  of  our  salvation  is  frequently 
denominated  from  a  pecuniary  transaction 
— It  is  called  Redemption,  and  believers 
are  said  to  be  redeemed.  Now  redemp- 
tion, it  is  well  known,  in  its  literal  signifi- 
cation, refers  to  the  price  which  is  paid  for 
a  prisoner  or  a  slave — The  same  is  also  the 
import  of  the  term  Ransom — "Justified 
through  the  redemjition  that  is  in  Christ." 
Rom.  iii.  24.  "  In  whom  we  have  re- 
demption  through  his  blood,  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his 
grace."     Ephes.  i.  7.     "  Having  obtained 


S2  LETTERS  ON 

eternal  redemption  for  us."  Heb.  ix.  12. 
"  Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse 
of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us." 
Gal.  iii.  13.  "Ye  were  not  redeemed  with 
corruptible  things  as  silver  and  gold — but 
with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ."  1  Pet. 
i.  18.  "Thou  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by 
thy  blood."  Rev.  v.  9.  "The  Son  of 
man  came  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  Matt.  xx.  28.  "  Who  gave  him- 
self a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due 
time."  1  Tim.  ii.  6.  While  we  have 
such  a  warrant  as  is  contained  in  these,  and 
many  similar  passages,  we  shall  never  hesi- 
tate to  illustrate  the  doctrine  of  atonement 
by  the  similitude  of  debtor  and  creditor; 
nor  to  speak  confidently  of  the  satisfac- 
tion of  Christ.  At  the  same  time,  we  shall 
be  careful  not  to  push  this  similitude  to  an 
unlawful  extreme,  nor  to  represent  the 
satisfaction  of  Christ  as  tallying  in  all  re- 
spects, with  that  which  is  made  in  human 
transactions. 

But  all  these  illustrations,  although  bor- 
rowed directly  from  the  volume  of  inspira- 


THE    ATONEMENT.  83 

lion,  appear  to  be  thought  improper  by  the 
writer  on  whom  we  remark ;  for  from  one 
of  them,  which  virtually  embraces  the 
whole,  he  derives  an  argument  which  he 
deems  subversive  of  our  whole  doctrine. 
Hear  him:  "Your  neighbour  becomes  in- 
debted to  you  in  a  large  amount,  which  he 
is  utterly  unable  to  pay.  You  resort  to 
legal  coercion — institute  a  prosecution,  and 
eventually  lodge  him  in  prison.  A  third 
person,  actuated  by  benevolence,  inquires 
into  the  affair — is  touched  with  pity  for  the 
tenant  of  the  jail — becomes  his  legal  surety 
— pays  the  whole  demand,  and  restores 
him  to  personal  freedom.  Now,  we  ask, 
on  what  principle  that  man  is  permitted  to 
cross  the  threshold  of  his  prison?  Must 
he  come  to  your  feet,  and  beg  to  be  re- 
leased; or  may  he  boldly  demand  liberty 
on  the  principles  of  law?  And  when  he 
again  rejoices  in  the  light  of  heaven,  to 
whom  shall  he  express  his  gratitude;  to  his 
benefactor  who  paid  the  debt,  or  to  you  who 
set  him  at  liberty  when  the  last  jot  and  tit- 
tle of  your  demand  was  extinguished  ?     It 


S4  LETTERS  ON 

is  manifest  that  you  have  no  farther  claim 
upon  this  man,  because  the  debt  is  paid,, 

He  has  a  legal  right  to  a  discharge ;  and  on 
the  score  of  gratitude  he  is  indebted  to  that 
benefactor  alone  who  cancelled  the  de- 
mand."' 

This  case  the  author  adduces  as  parallel 
to  that  of  the  atonement,  according  to  the 
views  of  his  brethren  whom  he  is  opposing. 
We  deny  the  fact.  Let  him  find,  in  pecu- 
niary transactions,  if  he  can,  a  perfect  pa- 
rallel;  and  then  he  may  push  the  compari- 
son as  far  as  he  pleases,  and  we  shall  be 
ready  to  meet  all  the  consequences.  But 
this  case  is  by  no  means  parallel.  Here  it 
is  supposed  that  the  creditor  has  no  agency 
in  bringing  forward  the  surety;  and  of 
course  no  gratitude  is  due  to  him  for  the 
payment  of  the  debt.  But  let  us  suppose 
the  creditor  to  provide  the  surety,  and  to 
engage  his  own  son  to  become  responsible 
for  the  debt,  and  to  consent  to  his  being  found 
in  a  state  of  humiliation,  while  procuring  the 
means  to  enable  him  to  make  the  payment ; 

*  Beman,  p.  39, 


THE   ATONEMENT.  B8 

would  not,  we  ask,  the  debtor  be,  in  that 
case,  under  obligations  of  gratitude  to  his 
merciful  creditor,  and  have  reason  to  thank 
him  for  the  recovery  of  his  liberty  ?  Surely 
Mr.  B.  has  not  yet  to  learn  that  the  Father, 
who  demands  from  sinners  payment  of  the 
debt  which  they  have  contracted  by  vio- 
lating his  holy  law,  is  constantly  exhibited 
by  us  as  being  so  merciful  that  He  jwovided 
the  surety  for  our  fallen  race,  and  that  he 
sent  into  the  world  his  only  begotten  Son, 
in  a  state  of  the  deepest  humiliation,  to  pay 
the  debt  which  we  could  never  have  extin- 
guished ! 

Again,  in  this  case  it  is  supposed,  that 
the  debt  is  paid  absolutely,  so  that  the  cre- 
ditor is  compelled  by  law  and  justice  to 
release  the  debtor  immediately.  But  let 
us  change  the  circumstances.  Suppose  a 
benevolent  individual  visits  a  prison  fdled 
with  debtors — He  finds  one  who  had  con- 
tracted his  debt  through  folly  and  vice. 
But  he  is  touched  at  the  recital  of  his  case, 
and  determines  to  pay  his  debt.  Wishing, 
however,  to  reclaim  the  unfortunate  man, 
ii 


LETTER $  ON 

and  to  humble  his  lofty  spirit,  lie  tells  him, 
I  will  pay  your  debt;  but  remember,  the 
payment  will  be  made  on  this  condition, 
that  you  shall  not  enjoy  the  intended  be- 
nefit and  obtain  your  freedom,  till  you  ac- 
knowledge your  fault  to  your  creditor,  and 
ask  his  forgiveness  of  )Tour  improper  con- 
duct towards  him.  Now,  from  this  ar- 
rangement it  is  plain,  that  this  debtor  could 
not,  on  principles  of  law  or  justice,  claim  a 
release,  until  he  had  submitted  to  the  pre- 
scribed condition;  and  his  creditor  could 
justly  detain  him  in  prison,  with  a  view  of 
humbling  his  proud  heart,  and  bringing  him 
to  the  required  acknowledgment. 

Jehovah  had  a  perfect  right  to  arrange 
the  economy  of  salvation  as  he  pleased  ; 
and  his  Son  had  a  perfect  right  to  pay  the 
price  of  our  redemption  under  what  stipu- 
lations he  chose.  For  aught  we  know,  the 
plan,  in  respect  to  the  application  of  the 
atonement,  might  have  been  different  from 
what  it  really  is,  in  a  variety  of  respects. 
The  whole  economy  of  salvation  was  ar- 
ranged in  the  counsels  of  infinite  wisdom. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  87 

It  is  what  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost  chose  it  should  be;  and  to  carry  into 
effect  this  wonderful  scheme,  the  eternal 
Son  of  God  laid  down  his  life  as  a  ransom 
for  us,  or  as  the  price  of  our  redemption. 

But  pecuniary  transactions,  we  not  only 
admit  but  insist,  can  furnish  no  perfect  pa- 
rallel to  the  mysterious  transaction  of  saving 
sinners.  A  creditor  cannot  refuse  the  pay- 
ment of  his  debt  by  a  third  person:  but  Je- 
hovah might  have  exacted  the  debt  from 
every  sinner,  and  refused  the  mediation  of 
a  surety.  A  debtor  may  provide  his  sure- 
ty; but  a  sinner  cannot,  and  must  be  in- 
debted for  the  blessing  to  the  bounty  of  his 
offended  sovereign.  The  creditor's  pecu- 
niary demands  are  satisfied  the  moment  his 
debt  is  paid:  but  the  demands  of  God  upon 
the  sinner  are  not  satisfied  till  he  believe  in 
Christ,  although  the  price  of  our  redemp- 
tion was  paid  long  before  he  came  into  ex- 
istence. The  debtor,  after  the  payment  of 
his  debt  by  another,  is  not  commonly  under 
obligation  to  his  creditor  for  releasing  hint 
from  prison  :   but  the  sinner  must,  accord- 


SS  LETTERS  ON 

ing  to  the  provisions  of  the  covenant  of  re- 
demption, be  under  eternal  obligations  to 
the  Father,  for  delivering  him  from  the 
curse  of  the  law  and  the  prison  of  hell, 
through  the  atoning  sacrifice  of  his  own 
Son.  In  human  transactions  the  surety  is 
a  different  individual  from  the  creditor:  but 
in  the  divine  transaction  of  saving  sinners, 
the  Son,  our  surety,  though  a  different  per- 
son from  the  Father,  yet  is  with  him  one 
and  the  same  infinite  Being. 

It  is  absurd  then  to  infer  that  because  the 
inspired  writers  illustrate  the  doctrine  of 
atonement  by  referring  to  pecuniary  transac- 
tions, that  it  must  resemble  them  in  every 
particular;  and  it  is  equally  absurd  from 
the  fact  that  the  atonement  does  not  agree 
with  pecuniary  transactions  in  every  parti- 
cular, to  infer  that  it  cannot  agree  with 
them  in  some  general  principle,  and  is  not 
a  price  in  any  sense  whatever. 

Let  us  view  the  remarks  of  the  writer 
last  quoted,  a  little  closer,  and  we  shall  find 
in  them  several  important  errors. 

"  Their  debt  is  paid.     The  law  has  no 


I  J 1 J     A  rONEMENT. 

further  demand  ;  grace  and  pardon  are  out 
of  the  question. "  So  says  this  author,  but 
so  say  not  the  inspired  writers.  The  en- 
tire consistency  between  the  grace  of 
God  in  our  pardon  and  the  satisfaction  of 
Christ  for  sin,  has  already  been  shown; 
and  any  further  proof  on  the  subject  is 
deemed  unnecessary.  But  in  regard  to  the 
law,  it  is  perfectly  plain  from  the  testimony 
of  scripture,  that  on  unbelievers  it  has  all 
its  demands,  and  that  they  must  remain 
under  the  curse,  till  they  believe  in  Christ; 
for  the  stipulations  between  the  Father  and 
the  Son  are  such,  that  they  secure  an  actual 
release  from  its  penal  demands  only  to  be- 
/levers. 

"There  is  but  one  being  in  the  uni- 
verse to  whom  they  would  be  indebted  for 
their  release;  and  that  is  the  friend  who 
paid  their  debt,  or  suffered  the  penalty  of 
the  law  in  their  stead."  Is  this  the  lan- 
guage of  a  professed  trinitarian  ?  Docs 
he  not  know  that  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit  are  one  being?  Does  he  not 
know  that  they  are  so  perfectly  one,  that 
H  2 


DO  LETTERS 

it'  in  prayer  we  address  the  Son,  vvc  ad- 
dress the  Father  and  the  Spirit;  and  that  if 
we  address  the  Father  we  address  the  God- 
head? He  has  surely  read  what  our  Lord 
declared  to  the  Jews:  "For  the  Father 
judgeth  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all 
judgment  unto  the  Son;  that  all  men  should 
honour  the  Son  even  as  they  honour  the 
Father.  He  that  honoureth  not  the  Son 
honoureth  not  the  Father  which  hath  sent 
him."  John  vi.  22,  23.  Does  he  not 
know  that  there  is  a  perfect  concurrence  of 
all  the  persons  in  the  Godhead  in  all  their 
works ;  and  that  although  one  part  of  the 
work  of  man's  redemption  is  peculiarly  ap- 
propriated to  one  person,  and  another  to 
another  person  in  the  divine  Trinity,  yet 
they  all  concur  in  every  part?  Has  he  not 
read  the  Saviour's  declaration?  "Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  the  Son  can  do  no- 
thing of  himself,  but  what  he  seeth  the  Fa- 
ther do :  for  what  things  soever  he  doeth, 
these  also  doth  the  Son  likewise. "  John 
v.  1^).  And  after  all  this,  in  opposition  to 
the  perfect  unity  of  the  Father,  Son  and 


I  HE   ATONEMi  Jf 

Spirit,  and  to  their  entire  concurrence  in 
all  their  works,  does  he  venture  to  make  so 
round  and  unqualified  an  assertion — "  There 
is  but  one  being  in  the  universe  to  whom 
they  would  be  indebted  for  their  release; 
and  that  is  the  friend  who  paid  their  debt 
■or  suffered  the  penalty  of  the  law  in  their 
stead  V  Now,  from  this  difficulty  the 
writer  cannot  extricate  himself  by  saying 
he  admits  the  unity  of  the  Divine  Being, 
and  that  we  are  indebted  both  to  the  Son 
and  the  Father;  because  this  would  be  aban- 
doning his  argument,  which  was  to  show, 
that,  if  Christ  paid  our  debt,  or  suffered 
the  penalty  of  the  law  in  our  stead,  then 
we  are  indebted  for  our  release  not  to  the 
Father,  but  to  the  Son  alone,  as  if  they 
were  not  one  and  the  same  being. 

This  objection  to  the  truth  betrays  its 
origin.— Infidelity  forged  it.  Christians 
have  received  it  at  her  hands. 

But  the  author  may  say,  as  in  fact  he  has 
said,  "  Be  it  so,  that  mercy  to  redeemed 
man  is  the  same  ;  but  by  whom  is  this  mei 
cy  exercised,  Surely  not  by  God  the  Fathei 


9-  LETTERS  ON 

It  is  a  vital  principle  of  that  scheme  against 
which  we  contend,  to  represent  the  Father 
as  rigidly  insisting  upon  the  infliction  of  the 
whole  penalty  of  the  law,  before  he  consents 
to  the  offer  of  salvation  to  a  rebellious  world. 
Every  particle  of  the  curse  must  be  inflict- 
ed. Every  jot  and  tittle  of  the  law  must 
be  executed." 

"  Now,  if  when  the  penalty  of  the  law 
was  about  to  fall  on  sinners,  the  Son  of  God 
came  forward  and  endured  the  exact  amount 
of  suffering  due,  on  legal  principles,  to  these 
sinners,  be  the  number  great  or  small,  then 
the  whole  mercy  involved  in  their  redemp- 
tion is  expressed  by  Christ  alone.  The 
Father,  as  one  of  the  persons  of  the  Trinity, 
is  inflexibly  just,  without  any  inclination 
to  the  exercise  of  mercy  ;  while  the  Son 
is  so  merciful,  that  he  has  suffered  the  most 
rigid  demands  of  the  law,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  the  Father  to  the  salvation  of 
his  people.  This  representation  appears  to 
us  derogatory  to  the  character  of  God.  It  an- 
nihilates the  attribute  of  mercy,  and  repre- 
sents the  Son  as  a  kind  of  milder  Deity  who 


THE   ATONEMENT.  93 

has  interposed  and  answered  the  stern  de- 
mands of  the  Father,  in  behalf  of  his  people, 
and  in  this  way  literally  purchased  them 
from  perdition. "* 

The  Father  is  without  any  inclination 
to  the  exercise  of  mercy!!!  The  whole 
mercy  involved  in  redemption  is  expressed 
by  Christ  alone  !  /.'"  And  is  this  a  fair  re- 
presentation of  the  views  of  those  who  cor- 
dially believe  what  is  stated  in  the  Confes- 
sion of  Faith  ?  "  Christ,  by  his  obedience 
and  death,  did  fully  discharge  the  debt  of  all 
those  that  are  thus  justified,  and  did  make  a 
proper,  real,  and  full  satisfaction  to  his  Fa- 
ther's justice  in  their  behalf.  Yet,  inasmuch 
as  he  was  given  by  the  Father  for  them, 
and  his  obedience  and  satisfaction  accepted 
in  their  stead,  and  both  freely,  not  for  any 
thing  in  them,  their  justification  is  only  of 
free  grace  ;  that  both  the  exact  justice,  and 
inch  grace  of  God,  might  be  glorified  in 
the  justification  of  sinners."  chap.  ii.  sec.  3. 
Had  the  author,  who  has  subscribed  the  Con 

*  Beman,  p.  37, 


91  LETTERS  ON 

i'ession  of  Faith,  attended  to  this  and  other 
articles  of  that  admirable  summary  of  Chris- 
tian doctrine,  it  might  have  kept  him  from 
making  such  unjust  misrepresentations  of  his 
brethren's  views  and  statements. 

But  does  he  not  know  that  all  intelligent 
advocates  of  the  scheme  he  opposes,  have 
uniformly  represented  the  plan  of  redemp- 
tion as  originating  in  the  unmerited  mercy 
and  boundless  love  of  God  the  Father  ? 
Does  he  not  know  that  they  believe  the  at- 
tributes of  Jehovah  to  be  immutable  ;  and 
that  they  teach  that  the  death  of  Christ  was 
not  the  cause,  but  the  fruit,  of  mercy,  as 
an  attribute  of  the  Father?  Does  he  not 
know  that,  while  they  believe  the  satisfac- 
tion of  Christ  to  have  been  necessary  to  a 
consistent  and  honourable  exercise  of  mercy, 
they  regard  the  gift  of  Christ  as  the  highest 
demonstration  of  the  Father's  unbound- 
ed mercy  !  Does  he  not  know  that  they 
can,  with  as  much  emphasis  as  he,  repeat 
the  delightful  encomium  passed  on  the  Fa- 
ther's love  by  the  Redeemer?  "  God  so  loved 
the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten 


THE    ATONEMENT.  95 

Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  Does  he 
not  know  that  they  constantly  teach  that 
"  the  love  of  God  was  the  cause,  and  not 
the  effect  of  the  atonement?"  These  facts 
he  ought  to  have  known,  before  he  assailed 
an  important  doctrine  in  the  Confession  of 
Faith  and  of  the  Bible;  but  if  he  did 
know  them,  he  must  account  for  misrepre- 
senting so  greatly  the  views  of  his  brethren, 
as  well  as  he  can. 

But  I  have  not  done  with  the  quotations 
from  this  writer.  If  his  remarks  have  any 
force  they  apply  to  his  own  scheme.  He 
maintains  the  necessity  of  an  atonement,  to 
open  the  way  for  the  exercise  of  divine  mer- 
cy, and  he  has  spent  a  whole  sermon  on 
that  point,  and  in  showing  the  love  which 
God  bears  to  his  holy  law.  He  contends 
that  unless  satisfaction  had  been  made  to 
public  justice,  salvation  would  have  been 
impossible.  Now,  he  believes  that  the  Son 
and  not  the  Father,  became  incarnate;  that 
the  Son,  and  not  the  Father,  humbled  him- 


90  LETTERS  ON 

self;  that  the  Son,  and  not  the  Father,  suffer- 
ed ;  that  the  So?i,  and  not  the  Father,  bled 
and  died  on  a  cross ;  that  the  Son,  and  not 
the  Father,  made  an  atonement;  that  the 
*Sbtt,and  not  the  Father,  intercedes  for  sin- 
ners. He  expressly  says,  "  In  the  case  of  all 
believers,  and  such  and  such  only  will  be 
saved,  the  misery  ivhich  Christ  endured,  is 
the  real  and  only  ground  of  their  release; 
because  without  these  sufferings^  or  the 
atonement,  there  could  have  been  no  par- 
don OR  GRACE  FOR  SINNERS."*    What  fol- 

lows  from  all  this  ?  Why$  if  his  remarks  be 
just,  then  it  will  follow,  that  according  to 
his  own  scheme,  we  are  indebted  to  Christ 
alone  for  salvation.  How  happens  it  that 
some  writers,  while  objecting  to  the  princi- 
ples of  others,  do  not  perceive  that  they  are 
fighting  against  themselves.  The  reasoning 
of  this  author,  if  fairly  and  fully  carried  out, 
would  sweep  away  two  of  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  gospel,  the  Atonement 
and  the  Trinity. 

*  Reman,  p.  50. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  .l>7 

In  my  next,  I  propose  to  compare  the 
two  theories  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  the 
atonement,  in  order  to  discover  which  ac- 
cords best  with  scriptural  truth.  In  the 
mean  time, 

I  remain  affectionately  yours. 


93  LETTERS  OX 

LETTER  V. 

Nature  of  the  Atonement. 

Dear  Brother, 

The  doctrines  of  the  two  schools  in  relation 
to  the  atonement,  have  now  been  compared 
in  three  particulars.  It  has  been  shown,  I 
trust,  that  in  regard  to  its  extent,  in  regard 
to  a  free  and  unfettered  preaching  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  in  regard  to  the  riches  of  Divine 
grace  displayed  in  our  salvation,  the  views 
of  the  new  school  have  no  superiority  over 
those  of  the  old  ;  and  that  the  latter  present 
the  riches  of  Divine. grace  in  by  far  the 
strongest  light. 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  institute  a  contrast 
between  these  conflicting  views,  in  several 
other  particulars;  in  which,  I  think,  it  will 
clearly  appear  that  ours  have  a  most  decided 
advantage. 

1 .  Let  us  compare  the  nature  of  the  atone- 
ment as  explained  and  advocated  by  the  two 


THE   ATONEMENT.  99 

schools  respectively;  and  see  whose  views 
and  representations  accord  best  with  scrip- 
tural truth.  The  nature  of  the  atonement 
is  not  a  subject  on  which  human  philosophy 
should  speculate.  It  is  matter  of  pure  re- 
velation ;  and  nothing  farther  can  be  known 
of  it  than  God  has  been  pleased  to  reveal. 
The  Bible  is  our  teacher  ;  and  those  views 
which  accord  with  the  instructions  of  inspir- 
ed writers  must  be  true,  while  those  which 
disagree  or  depart  from  them  must  be  false. 
The  advocates  of  the  indefinite  scheme, 
differ  in  their  views  of  the  nature  of  the 
atonement.  Some  say,  it  consists  in  making 
a  display  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  an  exhibi- 
tion of  Divine  justice.  Others  represent  it 
as  consisting  in  a  satisfaction  to  public  jus- 
tice for  sin  in  general ;  but  they  deny  that 
a  proper,  real  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  be- 
lievers was  made  to  Divine  justice,  so  that 
they  can,  on  legal  principles,  be  set  free 
from  the  curse  of  the  law.  They  admit  that 
Christ's  sufferings  are  a  substitute  for  our 
punishment;  but  they  deny  that  He  was 
the  substitute  o(  his  people,  and  that,  charg- 


100  LETTERS  ON 

ed  with  their  sins,  he  endured  the  penalty 
of  the  law,  and  thus  made  a  real  satisfaction 
for  them,  and  paid  a  real  price  for  their  re- 
demption. They  all  speak  of  the  atonement 
as  merely  opening  the  door,  and  removing 
the  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  exercise  of 
mercy.  Let  me  cite  a  few  quotations  from 
a  recent  publication — "  The  atonement  con- 
sists, not  in  cancelling  the  demands  of  the 
law  for  one  or  all  men,  but  in  opening  the 
door  of  hope,  in  rendering  the  pardon  of 
sinners  consistent  with  the  character,  law 
and  universe  of  God."*  Again:  "This 
atonement  merely  opened  the  door  of 
mercy ;  it  prepared  the  way  for  the  offer 
and  the  exercise  of  pardon. "t  Again  : 
"The  atonement  does  not  of  itself  save  a 
single  soul.  It  barely  opens  the  door  for 
the  accomplishment  of  this  object  by  free 
and  sovereign  grace.":}: 

Now,  these  views  are,  in  my  opinion,  re- 
pugnant to  plain  and  decided  testimonies  of 
holy  scripture,  and  tend  to  destroy  the  very 
nature  of  the  atonement. 

*  Beman.  f  Ibid.  *  Ibid. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  101 

The  sacred  writers  speak  of  the  death  and 
righteousness  of  Christ,  in  more  exalted 
terms  than  our  brethren  bestow  on  them. 
They  teach  us  to  attribute  to  his  divine  sa- 
crifice, much  more  than  the  bare  honour  of 
opening  a  door  of  hope  and  mercy  to  sinners. 

They  tell  us  that  the  Saviour,  by  his  suf- 
feri?igs,  became  the  "  author  of  eternal  re- 
demption to  all  that  obey  him."  Heb.  v.  9. 
They  tell  us  that  on  the  ground  of  his  sacri- 
fice and  intercession,  Christ  "  is  able  to  save 
to  the  uttermost  them  that  come  unto  God 
by  him."  Heb.  vii.  24 — 27.  They  assure  us 
that  his  blood  cleanseth  from  all  sin;  and 
that  it  purges  the  "  conscience  from  dead 
works  to  serve  the  living  God."  And  it 
has  been  shown,  in  a  former  letter,  thatyb?*- 
givejiess,  reconciliation,  justification, 
sanctification,  adoption,  and  eternal  life, 
are  all  attributed  to  the  sacrifice  and  righ- 
teousness of  our  divine  Redeemer,  as  their 
meritorious  and  procuring  cause:  and  con- 
sequently that,  while  grace  reigns  in  our 
salvation,  it  reigns  through  righteousness 
unto  eternal  life.  We  therefore  deem  it  dis- 
i  2 


102  LETTERS  ON 

honouring  to  the  invaluable  atonement  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  the  holy  scrip- 
ture represents  as  being  the  spring  of  every 
blessing  of  salvation,  to  speak  of  it  as  mere- 
ly opening  a  door  of  hope  and  mercy. 
The  Bible  speaks  of  his  sacrifice  in  sublimer 
strains  of  praise — "  Unto  him  that  loved  us, 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests 
unto  God  and  his  Father ;  unto  him  be  glory 
and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever — Amen." 
Rev.  i.  5,  6.  "  Thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  re- 
deemed us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of 
every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God, 
kings  and  priests,  and  we  shall  reign  on  the 
earth."    Rev.  v.  9,  10. 

If  the  atonement  consisted,  as  our  breth- 
ren affirm,  in  a  display  of  the  evil  of  sin 
and  of  Divine  justice,  it  might  reasonably  be 
expected,  that  the  inspired  writers  would 
have  stated  the  fact.  But  in  what  passage  is 
it  stated  ?  Frequently  indeed  the  death  of 
Christ  is  called  an  expiation  or  purging 
away  of  sin,  a  propitiation,  a  ransom,  a 


THE  ATONEMENT.  103 

price,  a  reconciliation  ;  but  no  where  do 
they  denominate  ft  a  display  of  the  evil  of 
sin  and  of  Divine  justice.  That  there  was 
such  a  display,  and  that  in  the  highest  degree, 
is  readily  admitted.  This,  however,  we  are 
not  expressly  taught;  we  are  left  to  infer  it 
from  the  mysterious  transaction  on  the 
cross,  viewed  in  connexion  with  its  causes 
and  its  effects.  In  no  passage  of  scripture 
that  I  can  recollect,  is  the  death  of  Christ 
spoken  of  as  exhibiting  the  evil  of  sin  and 
the  justice  of  God.  I  am  not  ignorant  that 
our  opponents  will  immediately  refer  to  a 
passage  in  Rom.  iii.  25,  26,  as  furnishing  a 
proof  that  we  are  taught  to  regard  the  Re- 
deemer's death  as  an  illustrious  display  of 
Divine  justice.  But,  I  apprehend,  the  righ- 
teousness there  mentioned  means,  not  an 
attribute  of  the  Godhead,  but  that  glorious 
righteousness  of  Christ,  of  which  the  sacred 
writer  had  spoken  in  the  preceding  verses; 
and  of  which  he  treats  throughout  this  epis- 
tle, as  the  ground  of  a  sinner's  justification; 
and  through  the  medium  of  which  Jehovah 
can,  consistently  with  his  own  glory,  bestow 


104  LETTERS  OK 

salvation  on  every  one  who  believes  in 
Christ;  and  thus  appear  a  just  God,  while 
he  assumes  the  character  of  a  Saviour. 

Now,  this  profound  silence  of  scripture 
on  the  point,  furnishes  conclusive  proof  that 
the  atonement  does  not  consist  in  a  display 
of  the  evil  of  sin  and  of  Divine  justice.  The 
fact  is,  this  display  is  the  result  of  the  atone- 
ment and  not  the  atonement  itself;  just  as 
the  glorious  sight  or  appearances  which  our 
eyes  behold,  when  the  sun  pours  his  beams 
upon  heaven  and  earth,  are  the  effect  of  his 
light,  and  not  the  light  itself. 

Besides,  if  a  display  of  the  evil  of  sin  and 
of  Divine  justice  were  all  that  was  required 
to  constitute  an  atonement,  it  might  be  ask- 
ed, where  was  the  necessity  for  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  great  Immanuel?  Has  not  such 
a  display  been  made  in  the  sufferings  and 
death  both  of  rational  and  of  irrational  crea- 
tures? Is  not  such  a  display  made,  and  will 
it  not  be  eternally  made,  in  the  torments  of 
the  damned  ?  Was  all  this  insufficient  ? 
Was  a  more  awful  spectacle  required,  a  sa- 
crifice of  groatcr  value,  in  order  to  produce 


THE  ATONEMENT.  105 

a  stronger  impression  on  the  minds  of  the 
intelligent  universe  ?  Should  this  be  admit- 
ted, it  would  furnish  no  reason  why  the  suf- 
ferings of  the  present  and  the  future  world 
should  not  be  regarded  as  forming  constitu- 
ent parts  of  the  atonement.  But  how  oppo- 
site would  this  be  to  the  language  of  holy 
scripture,  which  every  where  attributes  the 
great  work  of  propitiating  an  offended  Sove- 
reign to  Christ  alone,  exclusively  of  the 
agency  of  any  creature  either  in  heaven  or 
on  earth ! 

In  a  subsequent  letter  it  will  be  shown, 
that,  on  the  principles  adopted  by  our  oppo- 
nents, there  is  really  no  display  of  the  evil 
of  sin  and  of  Divine  justice.  I  now  pro- 
ceed to  explain  and  vindicate  the  views 
which  the  advocates  of  a  definite  atonement 
entertain  of  its  nature. 

They  believe  that  Jesus  Christ,  in  accom- 
plishing the  salvation  of  his  people,  acted 
as  their  legal  substitute ;  that  he  was 
charged  with  their  sins  ;  that  he  bare  the 
■penalty  of  the  law,  or  endured  the  punish- 
ment due  to  them  ;  and  thus  made  a  com- 


106  LETTERS  ON 

plete  satisfaction  for  their  guilt  to  Divine 
justice,  and  paid  the  price  of  their  redemp- 
tion. Such  are  their  views  of  this  mysteri- 
ous transaction,  exhibited  in  the  life  and 
death  of  the  Son  of  God.  If  these  views  can 
be  shown  to  be  scriptural,  then  it  will  fol- 
low, as  a  necessary  consequence,  that  the 
opposite  views  of  our  brethren  must  be  un~ 
scriptural.  Let  us  examine  the  subject 
carefully. 

1.  Christ  acted  as  the  substitute  of 
his  people. 

Substitution  is  evidently  conveyed  in  the 
meaning  of  the  preposition  'wrefrfor,  when 
it  is  applied  to  the  death  of  Christ.  That 
this  is  its  import  in  Rom.  v.  6 — 8,  can  hard- 
ly be  denied.  When  Paul  says,  "  Scarcely 
for  a  righteous  man  would  one  die,  yet 
peradventure  for  a  good  man  some  would 
even  dare  to  die,"  he  clearly  means  dying 
in  the  room  and  stead  of  a  good  man,  in 
order  to  save  his  life  ;  and  consequently 
when  he  speaks  of  the  superior  love  of  Christ, 
in  dying  for  us,  he  must  mean  his  dying, 
as  our  substitute,  in  our  room  and  stead. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  107 

"  Raphelius."  (Not.  ex  Xen.  in  v.  8.)  says 
Doddridge,  "  has  abundantly  demonstrated, 
that  'wee  i>!A.m  x7r$^a.H  signifies,  he  died  in 
our  room  and  stead ;  nor  can  I  find,  that 
wxoQotvetv'vree  mo$  has  ever  any  other  signi- 
fication than  that  of  rescuing  the  life  of  ano- 
ther at  the  expense  of  our  own  :  and  the 
very  next  verse  shows,  independent  of  any 
other  authority,  how  evidently  it  bears  that 
sense  here ;  as  one  can  hardly  imagine  any 
one  would  die  for  a  good  man,  unless  it 
were  to  redeem  his  life  by  giving  up  his 
own." 

The  Redeemer  is  expressly  called  a  sure- 
ty; that  is,  one  who  stands  engaged  to  be- 
come the  substitute  of  another,  to  fulfil  his 
obligations,  and  pay  his  debts.  "  By  so 
much,"  says  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  "  was  Jesus  made  a  surety  of 
a  better  testament." — Ch.  vii.  22.  With 
this  writer  accords  Peter,  in  exhibiting  the 
Saviour  as  a  substitute  for  sinners  :  "  For 
Christ,"  says  he,  "  hath  suffered  for  sins ; 
the  just  for  {^vxt()  the  unjust" — the  just 
person  in  the  room  and  stead  of  unjust  per- 


108  LETTERS   ON 

so?is,  "that  he  might  bring  us  to  God." 
The  Redeemer  himself  teaches  the  same  doc- 
trine ;  for  he  tells  us,  "  The  Son  of  man 
came,  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  min- 
ister, and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for"  (*vt<) 
in  the  room  and  stead  of  "  many."  Now  in 
these  texts  we  are  taught,  not  merely  that 
the  sufferings  of  Christ  come  in  place  of  our 
sufferings,  but  that  He  took  our  place,  and 
endured  the  punishment  that  we  should  have 
endured,  and  laid  down  his  life  to  save  our 
lives. 

This  was  no  new  doctrine  in  the  church 
of  Christ.  By  the  institutions  of  Moses, 
the  Jews  had  become  familiar  with  the  idea 
of  substitution.  Through  a  long  course  of 
ages  they  had  seen,  by  Divine  appointment, 
an  animal  substituted  in  the  place  of  a  hu- 
man offender,  and  the  life  of  the  animal  de- 
stroyed to  save  his  life.  And  why  this 
appointment  of  heaven?  Could  the  life  of 
a  dumb  animal  save  a  rational  creature 
from  deserved  vengeance?  "It  was  not 
possible,"  says  the  apostle,  "that  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  goats  should  take  away  sins." 


THE  ATONEMENT.  109 

Heb.  x.  4.  Why  then  did  the  altar  at  Je- 
rusalem continually  stream  with  blood  ? 
Doubtless  to  typify  Him  who  was  the 
Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  ;  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world ;  to  typify  "  the  offer- 
ing of  the  body  of  Jesus  once  for  all;"  that 
"one  offering"  by  which  "he  hath  per- 
fected for  ever  them  that  were  sanctified." 
Animal  sacrifices  did  in  type,  what  Christ 
did  in  reality.  They  were  typical  substi- 
tutes; he  was  a  real  true  substitute. 
"  Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  (Wtf) 
for  us."  1  Cor.  v.  7.  The  blood  of  bulls 
and  of  goats  sanctified  to  the  purifying  of 
the  flesh ;  but  the  blood  of  Christ  purges 
the  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve 
the  living  God.  He  offered  up  himself, 
his  person  for  us.  Heb.  ix.  14.  "He 
needed  not  daily,  as  those  high  priests,  to 
offer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his  own  sins,  and 
then  for  the  people's :  for  this  he  did  once, 
when  he  offered  up  Himself."  Heb.  vii. 
27.  He  himself  was  our  substitute. 
2.  Being  the  surety  and  substitute  of 


110  LETTERS  ON 

his  people,  the  Redeemer  was  charged 

WITH  THEIR  SINS. 

They  were  imputed  to  him,  and  he  be- 
came responsible  for  the  satisfaction  de- 
manded by  Divine  justice.  "It  is  for  ever 
impossible,  in  the  very  nature  of  things," 
says  a  sermon  writer,  "  that  Christ  should 
be  liable  to  suffer  that  punishment  which 
the  law  denounced  against  the  transgres- 
sor."* And  again :  "  But  this  idea  in- 
volves a  literal  transfer  of  character. 
On  this  scheme  Christ,  and  not  man,  is  the 
sinner.  But  Christ  and  man  cannot  ex- 
change characters,  because  sin  and  holiness 
are  personal,  and  cannot  be  transferred  from 
one  moral  being  to  another.  The  sinful  or 
holy  acts  of  one  person,  may,  in  a  thousand 
ways,  affect  another — exert  an  influence 
upon  his  happiness  or  misery — but  it  can 
never  be  so  transferred  as  to  become  his 
sinful  or  holy  act."t  Such  are  the  asser- 
tions of  a  writer,  who  a  little  before  had 
said,  "  We  do  by  no  means  intend  to  deny 
the  doctrines  of  substitution  and  imputa- 
tion:" of  consequence,  we  are  to  under- 
»  Reman,  p.  34.  j  lb.  p.  35- 


THE   ATONEMENT.  11] 

stand  him  as  affirming  that  the  advocates 
of  a  definite  atonement  teach,  by  their  doc- 
trine of  the  imputation  of  sins  to  Christ, 
that  there  is  such  a  transfer  of  moral  cha- 
racter in  this  divine  transaction,  that  it  is 
no  longer  true  that  the  sins  which  were 
actually  committed  by  the  sinner  were  ac- 
tually committed  by  him;  but  were  actually 
committed  by  Christ,  who  actually  did  not 
commit  them. 

That  they  do  not  teach  an  absurdity  so 
extravagant,  need  not  be  told  to  any  ac- 
quainted with  their  writings.  Nor  does  it 
follow  as  a  fair  and  legitimate  consequence 
of  their  doctrine.  In  that  admirable  Epis- 
tle of  Paul  to  Philemon  in  favour  of  Onesi- 
mus,  he  says— "  If  he  hath  wronged  thee, 
or  ovveth  thee  ought,  put  that  to  mine  ac- 
count," (tovto  e/Mt  e*foye()  charge  this  to  me, 
impute  this  to  me.  "  I  Paul  have  written 
it  with  mine  own  hand,  I  will  repay  it." 
Now  here  the  apostle  offers  to  become  re- 
sponsible for  any  debt  that  Onesimus  might 
owe  to  hb  master,  and  requests  Philemon 
to  impute,  or  reckon  the  debts  to  him,  and 


112  LETTERS  ON 

look  to  him  for  the  payment.  But  accord- 
ing to  the  writer  to  whom  we  refer,  this 
transaction  was  impossible;  because  it  would 
involve  such  a  transfer  of  character,  that 
Paul  would  become  the  original  contractor 
of  the  debt  and  not  Onesimus.  A  benevo- 
lent man  sees  a  poor  debtor  forced  along 
the  street  by  an  officer  of  justice  to  prison  ; 
he  is  touched  with  compassion ;  he  goes  to 
the  unfeeling  creditor,  and  says  to  him,  I 
will  be  surety  for  your  debtor  ;  charge  the 
debt  to  me  ;  I  will  pay  it.  But  he  is  met 
by  the  writer,  who  rises  up  and  says — 
"  The  thing  is  impossible.  Such  a  transac- 
tion would  imply  that  you,  and  not  the 
debtor,  had  contracted  the  debt.  His  act  is 
personal,  and  it  can  never  become  your  per- 
sonal  act." 

Now,  from  the  imputation  of  Onesimus' 
debts  to  Paul,  and  the  reckoning  of  a  debt 
contracted  by  another  man  to  his  surety, 
these  absurd  consequences  follow,  with  just 
as  much  certainty  as  they  do  from  the  impu- 
tation of  sin  to  Christ,  as  we  hold  the  doc- 
trine; that  is,  with  none  at  all.     Who  does 


THE  ATONEMENT.  llj 

not  see  that,  in  the  case  of  Paul,  when  One- 
simus'  debt  was  charged  to  him,  it  still  re- 
mained true  that  the  debt  was  originally 
contracted  by  Onesimus,  and  not  by  Paul  ? 
And  who  does  not  see,  in  relation  to  a  sure- 
ty, that,  after  a  man  has  become  responsi- 
ble for  the  payment  of  another  person's  debt, 
it  still  remains  true  that  the  debt  was  origi- 
nally contracted  by  this  person,  and  not  by 
his  generous  friend  ?  Why  then  should  any 
intelligent  individual  impute  such  absurdi- 
ties to  our  doctrine  ?  or  how  is  it  that  the 
minds  of  some  are  so  affected  by  preju- 
dice, that  they  cannot  understand  a  divine 
transaction,  which  can  be  so  aptly  illustrat- 
ed by  familiar  and  daily  occurring  examples 
in  human  affairs?  When  we  say  that  our 
sins  were  charged  to  Christ,  our  brethren 
certainly  ought  to  know  we  do  not  mean  that 
our  sins  were  taken  from  us,  and  infused 
into  Christ,  so  that  we  become  innocent 
and  Christ  actually  the  sinner  :  and  I  may 
add,  our  statements  are  so  far  from  implying 
any  thing  of  the  kind,  that  it  seems  difficult 
to  account  for  such  erroneous  conceptions, 

K  2 


114  LETTERS  ON 

unless  we  attribute  them  to  a  wish  to  substi- 
tute misrepresentation  for  argument,  which 
we  would  not  impute  to  our  brethren.  By 
the  charging  of  our  sins  to  the  Redeemer, 
we  simply  mean,  they  were  so  imputed,  or 
reckoned  to  him,  that  he  became  responsible 
to  Divine  justice  for  their  penal  consequen- 
ces. Our  opponents  may  affirm  this  to  be 
impossible:  but,  if  we  search  the  scriptures, 
we  shall  find,  that,  in  the  judgment  of  in- 
spired writers,  it  was  not  only  possible, 
but  a  glorious  fact. 

This  important  truth  was  exhibited  in  the 
sacrifices  under  the  ancient  economy.  Hav- 
ing brought  the  animal  to  the  appointed 
place,  the  worshipper  was  required  to  put 
his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  burnt-offer- 
ing.  The  victim  being  then  slain,  the  blood 
was  sprinkled  round  about  upon  the  altar. 
Lev.  i.  3 — 5.  The  imposition  of  the  offer- 
er's hand,  it  is  believed,  was  generally  ac- 
companied with  a  confession  of  his  sins  :  at 
least  the  act  denoted  his  wish  to  have  his 
guilt  imputed  to  the  animal,  that,  being 
slain  in  his  place,  he  might  escape  deserved 


THE  ATONEMENT.  115 

punishment.  Certain  it  is,  that,  on  the  great 
day  of  atonement,  the  imposition  of  the 
high  priest's  hands  was  accompanied  with 
a  confession  of  the  sins  of  the  people;  and 
the  whole  transaction  exhibited,  in  the  clear- 
est manner,  the  imputation  of  sin  to  the  ani- 
mal. "And  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands 
on  the  head  of  the  live  goat,  and  confess 
over  him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  all  their  transgressions,  in  all 
their  sins,  putting  them  upon  the  head  of 
the  goat,  and  shall  send  him  away  by  the 
hand  of  a  fit  man  into  the  wilderness :  and 
the  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their  ini- 
quities unto  a  land  not  inhabited :  and  he 
shall  let  go  the  goat  into  the  wilderness." 
Lev.  xvi.  21,  22. 

It  is  not  denied  by  the  advocates  of  inde- 
finite atonement,  that  these  types  were  de- 
signed to  prefigure  the  Redeemer  and  his 
work.  This  is  plainly  taught  in  Scripture. 
"Christ  our passover  is  sacrificed  for  us." 
1  Cor.  v.  7.  "  Christ  hath  loved  us,  and 
given  himself  for  us,  an  offering  and  a  sa- 
crifice to  God,  for  a  sweet  smelling  sa- 


llf)  LETTERS  ON 

vour."  Ephes.  v.  2.  In  the  epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  the  inspired  writer  teaches 
us  that  the  tabernacle  or  temple  was  a 
figure,  and  that  the  law  and  its  sacrifices 
were  shadows  of  good  things  to  come, 
chap.  ix.  9,  x.  1.  He  also  assures  us  ol 
the  superior  efficacy  of  the  Redeemer's  of- 
fering, above  the  efficacy  of  the  Levitical 
offerings:  "  For  if,"  says  he,  "the  blood 
of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and  the  ashes  of  an 
heifer,  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth 
to  the  purifying  of  the  flesh;  how  much 
more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who,  through 
the  eternal  Spirit,  offered  himself  without 
spot  to  God,  purge  your  conscience  from 
dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God?7' 
chap.  ix.  13,  14. 

Now,  the  type  being  the  shadoiv,  and 
the  antitype  the  substance,  what  was  pre- 
figured by  the  former  must  be  found  in  the 
latter.  It  will  follow,  then,  that  as  the 
victims  under  the  law  stood  figuratively 
charged  with  the  sins  of  those  for  whom 
they  were  offered.,  bo  the  great  victim,  tu 
whom  they  all  pointed,  stood  really  charged 


THE  ATONEMENT.  117 

with  the  sins  of  all  for  whom  he  was  of- 
fered. 

With  this  fact  the  language  of  the  New 
Testament  plainly  and  fully  accords. 
"  He,"  says  Paul,  "  hath  made  him  to  be 
sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might 
be  made  the  rig hteoics?iess  of  God  in  him." 
2  Cor.  v.  21.  Made  him  to  be  sin — A 
figurative  expression,  say  our  brethren; 
and  we  reply,  doubtless  it  is  a  figurative 
expression.  Christ  was  not  literally  made 
sin:  for  sin  is  an  act  or  quality  of  a  rational 
creature;  and  no  person  can  be  so  absurd 
as  to  believe  Christ  was  converted  into  sin, 
any  more  than  to  believe  the  paschal  lamb 
was  converted  into  the  angePs  act  of  pass- 
ing over  the  houses  of  the  Israelites,  be- 
cause it  was  called  the  passover.  But  what 
is  the  meaning  of  the  expression  ?  Does 
the  apostle  intend  to  teach  us  that  Christ 
was  stained  with  sin?  Certainly  not;  for 
he  bears  his  testimony  that  "  he  was  holy, 
harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate  from  sin- 
ners." What  then  is  his  meaning?  The 
phrase  was  well  chosen  and  selected,  to 


US  LETTERS  ON 

convey  a  very  important  truth.  There  is 
a  manifest  antithesis  between  the  two 
parts  of  the  text ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to 
conclude  that  just  as  we  are  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Christ,  so  he  was 
made  sin  for  us.  As  we  are  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Christ  by  the  im- 
putation of  the  Redeemer's  righteousness 
— according  to  the  explanation  of  the  au- 
thor of  the  text,  in  other  parts  of  his  writ- 
ings, when  speaking  on  the  subject,  (Rom. 
iii.  22.)  "  Even  the  righteousness  of  God 
which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  all 
and  upon  all  that  believe;"  and  again  (ch. 
iv.  6),  "Even  as  David  describeth  the  bless- 
edness of  the  man  unto  whom  God  im- 
puteth  righteousness  without  works" — so 
Christ  was  made  sin  for  us,  by  having  our 
sins  imputed  to  him,  that  he  might  justly 
bear  the  punishment  of  them. 

But  suppose  we  adopt  the  construction 
put  on  the  phrase  by  some  able  commenta- 
tors, that  Christ  was  made  a  sin-offering, 
because  sin-offerings  under  the  law  were 
called  sin ;  yet  the  result  will  be  the  same. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  Uf) 

For  a  question  arises,  Why  were  sin-offer- 
ings  denominated  sin?  There  certainly 
was  a  good  and  sufficient  reason  for  this 
denomination,  or  the  Old  Testament  writers 
would  not  have  given  it  to  the  legal  offer- 
ings:  and  no  other  reason  can  be  assigned 
than  the  fact,  that  sin  was  imputed  to  the 
victim,  and  the  victim  was  slain  in  place 
of  the  offerer,  whose  iniquities  it  bore.  In 
like  manner  our  Redeemer  became  a  sin- 
offering,  by  having  the  sins  of  his  people 
imputed  to  him,  and  dying  as  their  substi- 
tute. Peter  was  crucified ;  Paul  was  be- 
headed; thousands  of  martyrs  shed  their 
blood ;  and  all  suffered  in  consequence  of 
sin;  but  neither  Peter  nor  Paul,  nor  any 
martyr  ever  became  a  sin-offering;  nor  is  it 
ever  in  Scripture  said  of  any  mere  man  that 
he  was  made  sin  for  us.  And  the  reason 
is  that,  although  the  prophets,  and  apostles, 
and  martyrs  suffered  much,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  sin,  yet  none  but  Christ  was  ever 
charged  with  our  sins,  and  died  as  our  sub- 
stitute, to  make  expiation  for  them. 

In  entire  harmony  with  Paul.  Peter  in- 


120  LETTERS  ON 

culcates  the  same  important  truth:  "Who 
his  own  self  bare  our  sins,  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree,  that  we  being  dead  unto 
sin,  might  live  unto  righteousness."  1  Pet. 
ii.  24.  Bare  our  sins.  How?  Sins 
were  not  a  tangible  mass  that  could  be 
taken  from  us  as  a  burden,  and  placed  on 
the  Saviour.  Nor  could  they  be  infused 
into  him,  so  as  to  render  him  inherently 
polluted  by  them.  In  what  way  then  could 
he  bear  them?  In  no  other  than  by  having 
them  imputed,  charged  to  him,  so  as  to  be 
made  responsible  for  their  penal  conse- 
quences. Or  will  any  prefer  saying  the 
Redeemer  bore  the  punishment  of  our 
sins?  That  this  idea  is  included  in  the 
apostle's  meaning  we  shall  readily  admit : 
but,  if  he  bore  the  punishment  of  our  sins, 
it  will  follow,  that  they  were  previously 
charged  to  his  account;  because  this  impu- 
tation was  necessary  to  render  him  respon- 
sible for  them,  and  make  it  just  to  inflict 
on  him  the  punishment  due  to  them. 

"Abigail,   when  mediating  between  Da- 
vid and  Nabal,  when  the  former  was  pro- 


THE   ATONEMENT.  121 

yoked  to  wrath  against  the  latter,  and  had 
determined  to  destroy  him,  (1  Sam.  xxv. 
24,)  fell  at  David's  feet  and  said,  'Upon 
me  let  this  iniquity  be,  and  let  thy  hand- 
maid, I  pray  thee,  speak  in  thy  audience, 
and  hear  the  voice  of  thy  handmaid." 
And  in  verse  28  she  calls  Nabal's  iniquity 
her  iniquity.  By  this  it  appears,  that  a 
mediator  putting  himself  in  the  stead  of  the 
offender,  so  that  the  offended  party  should 
impute  the  offence  to  him,  and  look  on  the 
mediator  as  having  taken  it  upon  him,  and 
looking  on  him  as  the  debtor  for  what  sa- 
tisfaction should  be  required  and  expected, 
was,  in  those  days,  no  strange  notion,  or 
considered  as  a  thing  in  itself  absurd  and 
inconsistent  with  men's  natural  notion  of 
things."  President  Edwards,  vol.  viii.  p. 
515. 

Again,  observes  this  profound  theologian 
in  the  same  page:  "The  word  translated 
here  in  Isaiah  liii.  4  and  12,  is  am :  the 
same  word  and  the  same  phrase  of  bearing 
sin  and  bearing  iniquity,  is  often  used  con- 
cerning  things   which   are   the   types    of 

L 


122  LETTERS  ON 

Christ's  priesthood  and  sacrifice,  viz.  the 
Levitical  priests  and  sacrifices.  It  was  no 
uncommon  phrase,  but  usual,  and  well  un- 
derstood among  the  Jews ;  and  we  find  it 
very  often  used  in  other  cases  and  applied 
to  others  besides  either  Christ  or  the  types 
of  him.  And  when  it  is  so,  it  is  plain,  that 
the  general  meaning  of  the  phrase  is  lying 
under  the  guilt  of  sin,  having  it  imputed 
and  charged  upon  the  person,  as  obnoxious 
to  the  punishment  of  it,  or  obliged  to  an- 
swer and  make  satisfaction  for  it;  or  liable 
to  the  calamities  and  miseries  to  which  it 
exposes.  In  such  a  manner  it  seems  al- 
ways to  be  used,  unless  in  some  few  places 
it  signifies  to  take  away  sin  by  forgiveness." 
Edwards,  vol.  viii.  p.  515. 

In  my  next  I  shall  proceed  to  show  that 
Christ  bore  the  penalty  of  the  law,  or  en- 
dured the  punishment  due  to  our  sins. 

Affectionately  yours. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  123 

LETTER  VI. 
Nature  of  the  Atonement. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

Agreeably  to  promise,  I  am  to  show,  in 
this  letter, 

III.  That  Christ,  as  our  Redeemer,  bore 
the  penalty  of  the  law,  or  endured  the.  pun- 
ishment of  our  sins. 

It  is  admitted  by  the  new  school,  that  one 
person  may  suffer  for  another,  but  not  that 
one  can  suffer  the  punishment  due  to  ano- 
ther ;  and  accordingly,  while  they  affirm 
that  Christ  died  and  suffered  for  us,  they 
strenuously  deny  that  he  was  punished  for 
us.  "  If,"  says  one,  "  another  person,  of  his 
own  accord,  offers  to  bear  the  suffering, 
which  was  due  to  me  for  my  offences,  he 
may  do  so.  But  it  cannot  be  punishment 
to  him.  Punishment  supposes  guilt.  He 
cannot  take  my  actions  upon  himself,  so 
that  they  shall  become  his  own  actions,  and 


124  LETTERS  ON 

cease  to  be  mine.  He  cannot  become  guilty 
without  his  own  personal  transgression.  If 
he  suffers  in  my  place,  therefore,  his  suffer- 
ings are  not  punishment  to  him."*  This 
reminds  me  of  the  manner  in  which  Dr. 
Fuller  attempts  to  prove  that  the  sufferings 
of  our  blessed  Redeemer  were  not  the  pun- 
ishment of  our  sins.  It  was  done  by  the 
magic  of  a  definition.  His  definition  is 
this :  "  Punishment  is  natural  evil  inflicted 
for  personal  guilt"  Admitting  the  defi- 
nition to  be  correct,  his  point  was  gained. 
But  suppose  his  definition  to  be  altered  so 
as  to  suit  our  taste,  and  to  read  thus  :  Pun- 
ishment is  natural  evil  inflicted  for  personal, 
or  imputed  sin :  and  what  then  becomes  of 
his  argument  ?  To  the  author  of  the  argu- 
ment in  the  above  quotation  we  readily 
concede  that  punishment  supposes  sin ;  but 
we  deny  what  he  maintains,  that  it  always 
supposes  personal  transgression.  Jesus 
Christ,  it  has  been  proved,  had  the  sins  of 
his  people  imputed  to  him,  and  thus  became 

*  Dialogues  on  Atonement,  p.  20. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  125 

subject  to  the  punishment  of  them.  By  this 
we  do  not  mean,  that  he  took  their  actions 
upon  himself  so  that  they  became  his  own 
personal  actions,  and  no  longer  the  actions 
of  his  people.  The  absurdity  of  such  a  sup- 
position has  alreacty  been  exposed.  He 
consented  to  have  them  so  charged  to  his 
account,  that  the  punishment  of  them  might 
be  justly  required  of  him.  To  maintain  that 
punishment,  in  all  cases,  supposes  personal 
guilt,  is  as  unreasonable  as  to  maintain  that 
a  person  can  never  become  responsible  for 
any  actions  but  his  own  personal  actions. 
This,  however,  the  common  occurrences  of 
civil  life  will  prove  unfounded.  It  is  well 
known,  that  when  a  citizen  has  incurred  the 
penalty  of  a  violated  law,  and  being  unable  to 
pay  the  fine,  is  liable  to  imprisonment,  a 
friend  may  release  him  by  assuming  his 
obligation  and  paying  his  fine.  When  this 
is  done  there  is  no  transfer  of  moral  charac- 
ter; and  no  one  is  so  absurd  as  to  imagine 
the  transaction  implies  that  the  offender's 
friend  committed  the  trespass. 
A  man   is  apprehended  as  a   murderer. 

L  2 


126  LETTERS  ON 

He  is  tried,  convicted,  condemned  to 
death,  and  finally  executed.  It  cannot  be 
denied  that  this  man  has  suffered  the  pun- 
ishment due  to  murder.  Afterwards  his 
innocence  is  proved  beyond  dispute ;  what 
will  result?  Will  you  say  he  suffered  no 
punishment?  No  punishment!  What  great- 
er punishment  could  he  have  suffered  ?  He 
certainly  did  die  under  the  imputation  of 
murder;  and  to  expiate  the  guilt  of  that 
horrible  crime  he  was  condemned.  Surely 
then  he  suffered  punishment.  You  may 
affirm,  he  suffered  unrighteously;  you  may 
affirm  he  was  unjustly  punished  :  but  you 
cannot  in  truth  say  he  was  not  punished; 
because  it  will  for  ever  remain  a  fact  that 
he  did  suffer  death  as  the  punishment  of  a 
crime.  The  language  of  inspiration  con- 
firms this  reasoning.  (See  Acts,  xxvi.  11. 
Prov.  xvii.  26.) 

The  king  of  the  Locrians  enacted  a  law, 
that  an  adulterer  should  suffer,  as  the  pu- 
nishment of  his  crime,  the  loss  of  both  his 
eyes.  His  son  was  the  first  transgressor. 
The  father  felt  for  his  child ;  and  the  sove- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  127 

reign  felt  for  the  honour  of  his  law.  How 
were  these  conflicting  feelings  to  be  recon- 
ciled? How  could  the  father  spare  his  son 
and  the  sovereign  maintain  his  law  ?  He 
deprived  the  adulterer  of  one  of  his  eyes, 
and  he  gave  up  to  vengeance  one  of  his 
own.  Whatever  judgment  may  be  formed 
of  the  conduct  of  this  ancient  monarch,  it 
cannot  with  propriety  be  denied,  that  he 
actually  participated  with  his  son  id  the 
punishment  denounced  against  his  offence; 
and  it  must  be  admitted  that  by  this  mode 
of  executing  the  penalty  of  his  law,  as  salu- 
tary an  impression  might  be  made  upon  the 
minds  of  his  subjects  as  could  have  been 
made  by  depriving  the  culprit  of  both  his 
eyes.  None  could  afterwards  doubt  that  he 
was  determined  to  maintain  his  law,  by  in- 
flicting its  penalty  on  all  offenders. 

Having  made  these  remarks  on  the  ge- 
neral question,  I  offer  in  support  of  the 
truth  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  letter, 
the  following  arguments. 

1.  It  follows  as  a  consequence  from  what 
has  been  already  established :   for  if  Jesus 


128  LETTERS  ON 

Christ  suffered  as  our  substitute,  in  our 
room  and  stead,  and  if  our  sins  were  im- 
puted to  him,  then  the  sufferings  he  en- 
dured were  the  penalty  of  the  law,  or  the 
punishment  due  to  our  sins. 

2.  During  a  long  course  of  ages  this  truth 
was  typically  held  up  to  view  in  the  daily 
sacrifices  of  the  Jewish  church;  for  it  can 
hardly  be  denied  that  the  animal  victims 
were  considered  as  dying  in  the  place  of 
the  offerer,  and  as  symbolically  bearing  his 
punishment.  Now,  the  substance  of  this 
shadow  was  found  in  the  great  Antitype; 
Christ  realized  the  idea  that  had  been  pre- 
figured in  the  types. 

3.  The  history  of  our  Redeemer's  suffer- 
ings proves  that  he  endured  the  penalty  of 
the  law.  His  sufferings  began  at  his  birth, 
extended  through  his  life,  and  terminated 
only  in  his  death.  He  suffered  from  po- 
verty and  hardship,  from  slander  and  per- 
secution. He  suffered  from  men  and  de- 
vils, from  earth  and  heaven,  from  the  hands 
of  his  enemies  and  the  hands  of  his  Father. 
He  suffered  both  in  body  and  in  soul.     In 


THE  ATONEMENT.  129 

the  garden  of  Gethsemane  such  was  his 
amazement,  and  consternation,  and  anguish 
of  spirit,  that  he  said  to  his  disciples,  "My 
soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto 
death ;"  and  to  his  Father,  "  Father,  if  it 
be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me." 
On  the  cross  his  sufferings  were  aggravated 
by  every  circumstance  of  shame  and  indig- 
nity that  malice  could  invent;  and  to  crown 
all,  his  Father  hid  his  face  from  him,  so 
that,  in  the  bitterness  of  extreme  sorrow, 
he  exclaimed,  "My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me !"  At  last,  having 
finished  his  awful  sacrifice,  he  bowed  his 
head  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 

Such  were  the  Redeemer's  sufferings; 
and  it  is  natural  to  ask,  Why  did  he  suffer? 
To  reply,  he  suffered  for  us,  or  he  suffered 
in  consequence  of  sin,  is  saying  no  more 
than  Socinians  will  say.  The  scriptural 
reply  is,  Christ,  by  his  sufferings,  endured 
the  penalty  of  a  violated  law,  and  thus 
satisfied  Divine  justice  for  the  sins  of  men. 
But  our  brethren,  while  they  affirm  he  sa- 
tisfied  public  justice,   by   his   sufferings, 


150  LETTERS  ON 

deny  that  he  bore  the  penalty  of  the  law. 
Their  very  nature,  however,  we  think, 
evinces  the  contrary. 

For  what  is  the  penalty  of  the  law  ?  An 
inspired  apostle  shall  answer  the  question : 
"  The  wages  of  sin  is  death. "  Rom.  vi. 
23.  By  death  cannot  be  meant  simply  the 
separation  of  the  soul  and  body.  This 
term  is  used  in  Scripture  in  a  variety  of 
senses.  It  signifies  any  great  calamity. 
Speaking  of  the  plague  of  locusts,  Pharoah 
said  to  Moses  and  Aaron,  "  Intreat  the 
Lord  your  God,  that  he  may  take  away 
this  death  only."  Exod.  x.  17.  It  signi- 
fies circumstances  of  great  danger :  "  The 
sorrows  of  death  compassed  me,  and  the 
floods  of  ungodly  men  made  me  afraid."  Ps. 
xviii.  4.  It  signifies  great  vexation  or  dis- 
tress of  mind :  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
she  pressed  him  daily  with  her  words,  and 
urged  him,  so  that  his  soul  was  vexed  unto 
death,  that  he  told  her  all  his  heart."  Jud. 
xvi.  16.  Death,  by  which  the  apostle  ex- 
presses what  is  the  wages  of  sin,  is  a  word 
of  large  import.     It  comprehends  all  the 


THE   ATONEMENT.  131 

pains  and  sorrows,  labours  and  toils,  suffer- 
ings and  miseries,  which  wicked  men  en- 
dure, either  in  this  world  or  in  the  next; 
for  all  these,  together  with  the  death  of 
the  body,  constitute  the  wages  of  sin,  or 
the  penalty  of  the  Divine  law,  when  inflict- 
ed on  impenitent  offenders.  How  manifest 
then  is  it  that  Jesus  Christ  bore  this  penal- 
ty !  All  the  pains  and  sorrows,  all  the  suf- 
ferings and  miseries  that  the  law  could  de- 
mand  from  him,  as  the  Surety  of  his  peo- 
ple, in  order  to  make  expiation  for  their 
sins,  he  actually  endured ;  and  at  last  ter- 
minated his  humiliation  and  sufferings  by 
dying  on  the  accursed  tree. 

4.  As  the  Old  Testament  exhibited  typi- 
cally Messiah's  sufferings  in  this  light,  so 
the  language  of  the  New  expressly  ascribes 
to  them  this  character.  It  speaks  of  them 
in  terms  so  plain  and  decided,  that  it  seems 
surprising  how  any  can  deny  the  truth  now 
under  investigation.  The  Son  of  God,  the 
apostle  tells  us,  "  was  made  under  the  law, 
that  he  might  redeem  them  that  icerc 
under   the   law"     Gal.   iv.   4,   5.     How 


132  LETTERS  ON 

was  Christ  under  the  law  ?  Just  as  they 
whom  he  came  to  redeem  were  under  it. 
Sinners  are  under  the  law,  both  in  respect 
to  its  preceptive  requirements,  and  its  pe- 
nal demands ;  they  are  bound  to  obey  the 
one,  and  to  satisfy  the  other:  and  so  was 
the  Redeemer  under  the  law ;  he  volunta- 
rily obligated  himself  to  obey  all  the  pre- 
cepts of  the  moral  law,  and  to  satisfy  all 
its  penal  demands  by  enduring  its  curse. 
Moreover,  as  the  church  was  under  the 'ce- 
remonial law,  when  he  appeared  in  the 
world,  he  submitted  also  to  this  law  and 
all  its  institutions;  and,  as  a  token  of  his 
subjection  to  it  was  circumcised,  although, 
as  a  perfectly  holy  man,  he  could,  on  his 
own  account,  be  under  no  obligation  to  ob- 
serve it. 

The  correctness  of  this  interpretation 
may  be  confirmed  by  a  passage  in  the  40th 
Psalm,  as  explained  in  the  10th  chap,  of  the 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  "  Sacrifice  and  of- 
fering thou  didst  not  desire;  mine  ears  hast 
thou  opened:  burnt-offering  and  sin-offering 
hast  thou  not  required.     Then  said  I,  Lo  I 


THE  ATONEMENT.  133 

come:  in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  writ- 
ten of  me,  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  0  my 
God ;  yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart." 
By  the  will  of  God  in  the  sixth  verse,  the 
Saviour  doubtless  means,  as  he  explains  it, 
in  the  next  member  of  that  verse,  the  law 
of  God.  Now,  he  declares  that  he  delight- 
ed to  do  this  will,  or  to  fulfil  this  law ;  and 
as  the  writer  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
shows  that  this  will  or  law  of  God  referred 
especially  to  the  Saviour's  sacrifice  of  him- 
self, or,  in  other  words,  to  his  sufferings, 
it  will  follow,  that  he  considered  himself 
under  obligation  to  obey  the  Divine  law  in 
this  respect. — In  presenting  himself  as  a 
sacrifice  for  sin  he  took  delight,  because  it 
was  required  by  the  law  of  his  God. 

It  appears,  then,  from  these  texts,  that 
the  Redeemer  voluntarily  subjected  himself 
to  the  penal  demands  of  the  Divine  law ; 
and  consequently  he  was  legally  bound  to 
endure  its  penalty.  That  he  actually  ful- 
filled his  engagements  and  bore  the  penalty 
is  plainly  and  unequivocally  asserted  by  the 
apostle  Paul.    "  Christ,"  says  he,  "  hath  re- 

M 


134  LETTERS  ON 

deemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being 
made  a  curse  for  us."  Gal.  iii.  3.  Now, 
this  seems  so  plain  as  almost  to  preclude  any 
reasoning  on  it.  The  curse  of  the  law  was 
its  penalty  ;  and  to  say  Christ  was  made  a 
curse  for  us  is  equivalent  to  saying  he  was 
made  a  punishment ,  for  what  is  the  penalty 
of  the  law,  hut  the  punishment  it  denounces 
against  transgressors?  The  meaning  of  the 
term  curse,  in  the  first  part  of  the  text  can- 
not be  disputed  ;  nor  can  any  just  reason  be 
assigned  for  giving  to  the  same  term,  in  the 
second  part  of  it,  a  different  meaning.  But 
when  it  is  said  that  Christ  was  made  a 
curse,  our  brethren  contend  the  expression  is 
figurative.  Granted  :  but  let  it  be  remem- 
bered it  is  used  to  convey  a  very  important 
truth.  "  The  carnal  mind,"  says  the  same 
apostle,  "  is  enmity  against  God :"  which 
doubtless  is  a  figurative  expression  ;  for  no 
one  will  believe  he  intended  to  teach  that 
the  mind  of  man  is  really  enmity,  in  the 
abstract.  Yet,  in  using  this  strong  expres- 
sion, he  undoubtedly  designed  to  inform  us 
that  the  carnal  mind  is  in  a  state  of  real 


THE  ATONEMENT.  135 

tnmity  to  God,  highly  and  violently  opposed 
to  his  holy  will.  And  what  less  can  the 
inspired  writer  mean,  by  saying  Christ  was 
made  a  curse  for  us,  than  that  he  actually  en- 
dured the  curse  orjienalty  of  the  law  for  us  ? 
for  if  Christ  did  not  bear  the  curse  or  penalty 
of  the  law,  but  merely  suffered  for  us,  it 
could  not  with  any  propriety  be  asserted  he 
was  made  a  curse  for  us;  an  expression 
than  which  the  whole  vocabulary  of  human 
language  could  not  furnish  one  stronger. 

Surely  this  is  decisive  scriptural  testi- 
mony to  the  truth  under  discussion.  But 
plain  as  it  appears  to  us,  our  brethren  endea- 
vour by  a  forced  interpretation  of  it  to  de- 
prive us  of  its  support.  I  shall  not,  how- 
ever, interupt  the  course  of  my  argument, 
by  introducing  their  construction  in  this 
place.  It  shall  be  attended  to,  when  I  take 
up  their  objections  to  our  views  of  the  na- 
ture of  the  atonement. 

Beside  these  texts,  many  others  bear  tes- 
timony to  the  important  truth,  that  the 
divine  Saviour  endured  the  penalty  of  the 
law,  or  bore  the  punishment  due  to  our  sins, 


136  LETTERS  ON 

The  inspired  writers  no  where  teach  that  he 
suffered  for  sin  in  general.  Sin,  in  the  ab- 
stract, is  a  mere  name,  a  word  ;  and  if  any 
should  say  that  Christ  died  for  sin  in  gene- 
ral, or  in  the  abstract,  they  would  utter  a 
manifest  absurdity.  The  sacred  penmen 
teach  a  very  different  doctrine.  They  teach 
us  that  Christ  died  for  the  sins  of  indivi- 
duals ;  for  sins  really  committed.  "  He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions:  he  was 
bruised  for  our  iniquities."  "  He  died  for 
our  sins/'  "  Who  was  delivered  for  our 
offences."  "  So  Christ  was  once  offered  to 
bear  the  sins  oimany" 

Such  is  the  language  of  the  inspired  wri- 
ters: and  all  these  texts,  by  fair  construc- 
tion, will  prove  that  the  Redeemer  submitted 
to  the  punishment  due  to  our  sins.  The 
evangelical  prophet  asserts  it  in  plain  lan- 
guage :  "  The  chastisement  of  our  peace 
was  upon  him;"  Isaiah,  liii.  5;  that  is,  the 
punishment  (for  this  is  the  meaning  of  the 
term  chastisement,)  the  punishment  of  our 
sins  necessary  to  procure  peace  for  us  with 
God,  was  laid  upon  him.     President  Ed- 


THE   ATONEMENT.  K)T 

wards,  treating  on  this  subject,  says,  "  His 
bearing  the  burden  of  our  sins  may  be  con- 
sidered as  somewhat  diverse  from  his  suffer- 
ing God's  wrath.  For  his  suffering  wrath 
consisted  more  in  the  sense  he  had  of  the 
dreadfulness  of  the  punishment  of  sin,  or  of 
God's  wrath  inflicted  for  it.  Thus  Christ 
was  tormented,  not  only  in  the  Jire  of  God's 
wrath,  but  in  the  Jire  of  our  sins  ;  and  our 
sins  were  his  tormentors :  the  evil  and  ma- 
lignant nature  of  sin  was  what  Christ  en- 
dured immediately,  as  well  as  more  remote- 
ly, in  bearing  the  consequences  of  it."* 

I  think,  my  dear  friend,  I  may  now  say 
that,  by  plain  and  decisive  scriptural  testi- 
monies, the  following  points  have,  in  this 
and  the  preceding  letter,  been  proved  ; 
namely  : 

1.  That  Jesus  Christ  was  constituted 
the  substitute  of  sinners  ; 

2.  That  he  was  charged  ivith  the  sins 
of  his  jtcople  ;  and 

3.  That  he  sustained  the  penalty  of 

*  Vol.  viii.  p.  526. 
M2 


138  LETTERS  ON 

the  law,  or  bore  the  punishment   due  to 
their  sins. 

It  must  then  follow,  conclusively,  that  his 
sufferings  were  a  real  and  full  satisfac- 
tion to  Divine  justice,  and  that  he  actually 
paid  the  price  of  our  redemption.  How 
remarkable  that  passage  in  the  epistle  to  the 
Romans  !  "  Whom  God  hath  set  forth  to 
be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood, 
to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remission 
of  sins  that  are  passed,  through  the  forbear- 
ance of  God ;  to  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time, 
his  righteousness,  that  he  might  be  just  and 
the  justijier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus." 
Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  From  this  text  it  is  a 
clear  inference  that  if  Christ  had  not  become 
a  propitiation  for  sin  ;  if  his  blood  had  not 
been  shed  for  the  remission  of  it,  and  he 
had  not  interposed  to  turn  away  Divine 
wrath  from  believers ;  if  he  had  not  brought 
in  his  righteousness  ;  Jehovah  could  not  con- 
sistently with  the  demands  of  his  justice,  have 
pardoned  and  justified  any  of  our  race  :  but 
that  now,  through  the  satisfaction  made  by 
the  death  of  Christ  to  the  demands  of  his 


iHE   ATONEMENT.  139 

justice,  and  that  complete  righteousness 
which  he  has  wrought  out,  he  can,  in  the 
remission  of  the  sins  of  believers,  and  in 
their  justification,  display  not  only  his 
boundless  mercy,  but  his  inflexible  justice. 
To  you,  my  friend,  and  to  me,  it  is  mat- 
ter of  surprise,  that  our  brethren  do,  in  the 
face  of  such  plain  testimonies  of  scripture, 
assert  that  the  Redeemer  did  not  pay  any 
real  price  for  our  redemption.  I  shall  not 
here  repeat  the  texts  quoted  in  my  fourth 
letter,  (pp.  81,  82,)  to  show  how  frequently 
and  expressly  the  inspired  writers  use  this 
very  term,  and  other  cognate  words.  1 
would  only  ask,  what  language  can  be 
plainer?  Is  it  figurative?  Was  not  the 
blood  of  Christ  real?  Was  not  the  church, 
the  object  of  his  purchase,  real?  Was 
there  not  a  real  exchange?  Did  he  not 
really  give  his  life,  his  bloud,  for  his  peo- 
ple? Are  we  not  told  that  "  to  this  end 
Christ  died  and  revived  and  rose  again,  that 
he  might  be  Lord  belli  of  the  dead  and  the 
living?" 

I  shall  clo^e  this  letter  With  two  extracts 


140  LETTERS  ON 

from  the  writings  of  President  Edwards? 
for  whom  our  brethren  profess  so  great  a 
veneration. 

Illustrating  the  nature  of  the  atonement 
by  referring  to  the  Jewish  sacrifices,  he 
says,  "  If  there  was  nothing  of  true  and 
real  atonement  and  sacrifice  in  those  beasts 
that  were  offered,  then  doubtless  they  were 
an  evidence,  that  there  was  to  be  some 
other  greater  sacrifice,  which  was  to  be  a 
proper  atonement  or  satisfaction,  and  of 
which  they  were  only  the  presage  and 
signs;  as  those  symbolical  actions  which 
God  sometimes  commanded  the  prophets 
to  perform,  were  signs  and  presages  of 
great  events  which  they  foretold.  This 
proves  that  a  sacrifice  of  infinite  value  was 
necessary,  and  that  God  would  accept  of  no 
other.  For  an  atonement  that  bears  no 
proportion  to  the  offence,  is  no  atonement. 
An  atonement  carries  in  it  a  payment  or 
satisfaction  in  the  very  nature  of  it. 
And  if  satisfaction  was  so  little  necessary, 
that  the  Divine  Majesty  easily  admitted 
one  that  bears  no  proportion  at  all  to  the 


THE  ATONEMENT.  Ml 

offence,  i.  c.  was  wholly  equivalent  to  no- 
thing, when  compared  with  the  offence, 
and  so  was  no  payment  or  satisfaction  at 
all;  then  he  might  have  forgiven  sin  with- 
out any  atonement."* 

Again :  "  It  cannot  here  be  reasonably  ob- 
jected, that  God  is  not  capable  of  properly 
receiving  any  satisfaction  for  an  injury ; 
because  he  is  not  capable  of  receiving  any 
benefit ;  that  a  price  offered  to  men  satisfies 
for  an  injury,  because  it  may  truly  be  a 
price  to  them,  or  a  thing  beneficial ;  but 
that  God  is  not  capable  of  receiving  a  be- 
nefit. For  God  is  as  capable  of  receiving 
satisfaction  as  injury.  It  is  true,  he  can- 
not  properly  be  profited ;  so  neither  can  he 
properly  be  hurt.  But  as  rebelling  against 
him  may  be  properly  looked  upon  as  of  the 
nature  of  an  injury  or  wrong  done  to  God, 
and  so  God  is  capable  of  being  the  object 
of  injuriousness;  so  he  is  capable  of  being 
the  object  of  that  which  is  the  opposite  of 
injuriousness,  or  the  repairing  of  an  injury. 
If  you  say,  what  need  is  there  that  God 

*  Vol.  viii,  p.  530,  531. 


142  LETTERS  ON 

have  any  care  for  repairing  the  honour  of 
his  majesty  when  it  can  do  him  no  good, 
and  no  addition  can  be  made  to  his  happi- 
ness by  it?  You  might  as  well  say,  what 
need  is  there  that  God  care  when  he  is  de- 
spised and  dishonoured,  and  his  authority 
and  glory  trampled  on ;  since  it  does  him 
no  hurt?"*  The  president  then  goes  on  to 
prove,  from  the  natural  dictates  of  con- 
science, and  from  the  light  of  reason,  that 
Jehovah  demands  a  reparation  of  the  evil 
of  sin,  not  merely  because  it  is  injurious 
to  the  happiness  of  his  creatures,  but 
chiefly  from  regard  due  to  his  own  in- 
sulted Majesty. 

Sincerely  and  affectionately, 

Yours,  &c. 

*  Vol.  viii.  p.  532. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  143 

LETTER  VII. 

Objections  Answered. 

My  Dear  Friend, 

That  Jesus  Christ  actually  bore  the  penal- 
ty of  the  law,  was,  I  hope,  clearly  evinced 
in  my  last.  Against  this  doctrine,  however, 
several  objections  are  urged  by  our  brethren. 
But  objections,  how  plausible  soever  they 
may  seem,  ought  not  to  outweigh  plain 
scriptural  testimony  to  the  contrary.  If, 
therefore,  we  could  not  satisfactorily  remove 
every  difficulty,  still  the  truth  should  be 
believed.  It  is  the  duty  of  Christians  to  re- 
ceive with  implicit  faith  whatever  they  find 
revealed  in  holy  scripture. 

Granted,  the  pupils  of  the  new  school  will 
reply ;  we  admit  the  paramount  authority 
of  inspiration  ;  but  we  deny  the  truth  for 
which  you  contend,  to  be  a  part  of  divine 
revelation.  To  us,  however,  the  texts  ad- 
duced seem  clear  and  decisive ;  and  nothing 


144  LETTERS  ON 

that  they  can  offer  is  sufficient  to  change 
our  mind. 

1.  The  first  objection  I  shall  notice,  is 
urged  against  the  interpretation  we  give  to 
a  particular  text.  When  Paul  says,  (Gal. 
iii.  13.)  "Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from 
the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse 
for  us ;  for  it  is  written,  Cursed  is  every 
oue  that  hangeth  on  a  tree ;"  we  think  he 
does,  in  plain  words,  teach  that  Christ  bore 
the  curse  ox  penalty  of  the  divine  law.  But 
our  brethren  think  otherwise  ;  and  one  of 
them  says,  "  It  is  in  no  shape,  asserted 
here,  that  Christ  suffered  the  penalty  of  the 
law.  The  apostle  tells  us  in  what  sense  he 
"  was  made  a  curse  for  us."  "  Cursed  is 
every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree."  Believ- 
ers are  saved  from  the  curse  or  penalty  of 
the  law  by  the  consideration  that  Christ 
"  was  made  a  curse"  for  them  in  another 
and  a  very  different  sense.  He  was  "  made 
a  curse"  inasmuch  as  he  suffered,  in  order 
to  open  the  door  of  hope  to  man,  by  the 
pains  and  ignominy  of  crucifixion.  He 
hung  upon  a  tree.    He  died  as  a  malefactor. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  145 

He  died  as  one  accursed.  If  this  text  prove 
that  Christ  suffered  the  penalty  of  the  law, 
it  does,  at  the  same  time,  and  by  principles 
of  legitimate  exposition,  prove,  that  the  pe- 
nalty of  the  law  was  crucifixion,  or  hanging 
on  a  tree.  But  the  penalty  of  the  law  was 
eternal  damnation  threatened  against  the 
transgressor  alone,  and  liable  to  be  executed 
upon  him,  and  upon  no  one  else."*  My  an- 
swer to  this  objection  will  appear  in  the  fol- 
lowing observations. 

First :  To  assert,  as  this  writer  does,  that 
the  penalty  of  the  law  can  be  executed  on 
none  but  the  transgressor  himself,  is  cer- 
tainly no  legitimate  proof  in  controversy 
with  Christians  who  think  differently,  and 
assert  the  contrary  to  be  true.  We  do  not 
rest  our  cause  on  mere  assertion ;  already, 
it  is  believed,  clear  scriptural  testimony  has 
been  adduced  in  support  of  the  fact,  that 
Christ  suffered  the  penalty  of  the  law  ;  and 
to  us  the  text  under  discussion  affords  such 
unequivocal  evidence  of  it,  that  we  are  rea- 

•  Beman,  #.  45,  46. 

N 


146  LETTERS  OK 

dy  to  wonder  how  he  could,  in  the  face  of 
the  apostle's  declaration,  indulge  himself  in 
the  liberty  of  making  so  round  and  unquali- 
fied an  assertion. 

Secondly  :  The  fact  that  Christ  died  a 
painful  and  an  ignominious  death,  and  that 
he  submitted  to  such  a  death  for  the  sins  of 
his  people,  is  no  subject  of  dispute.  Our 
brethren  admit  it  as  cordially  as  we.  It 
is  admitted  in  the  quotation  above.  The 
point  of  difference  is  the  character  of  his 
sufferings.  We  say  that  they  were  an  inflic- 
tion of  the  curse  or  penalty  of  the  law  de- 
nounced against  sin  ;  this  they  deny.  But 
death,  it  has  been  shown  in  the  preceding 
letter,  is  the  wages  of  sin,  the  curse  or 
penalty  of  the  law  ;  and  consequently  as 
Christ  underwent  death  for  the  sins  of  men, 
he  endured  the  penalty  of  the  law  due  to 
them. 

Thirdly  :  The  quotation  by  the  apostle 
of  a  passage  in  the  Old  Testament,  was 
not  adduced  to  prove  that  our  Redeemer 
was  crucified.  This  fact  had  been  fully 
recorded  by  the  pen  of  more  than  one  evan- 


THE    ATONEMENT.  147 

gelist.  It  was  perfectly  well  known  to  the 
Galatians.  Any  quotation  from  the  Old 
Testament  in  proof  of  a  fact  so  abundantly 
attested  in  the  evangelical  narrative,  would 
have  been  entirely  superfluous.  Yet  Mr. 
B.  seems  to  think  this  to  have  been  one 
reason  of  the  quotation,  "He  hung  upon  a 
tree." 

Fourthly:  Nor  was  the  quotation  made 
to  prove  that  Christ  died  as  a  malefactor 
"  He  died,"  says  Mr.  B.  "  as  a  malefactor." 
This  fact  was  fully  known  to  all  who  were 
acquainted  with  the  fact  of  his  crucifixion, 
and  the  account  given  of  it  by  the  inspired 
historians  and  teachers. 

Finally  :  The  quotation  was  brought  for- 
ward to  prove  the  character  of  the  Redeem- 
er's sufferings.  It  was  not  crucifixion  only 
that  he  endured.  He  had  suffered  through 
life  from  various  causes  and  in  various  ways. 
He  had  endured  in  Gethsemane  unutterable 
mental  agonies.  His  soul  had  been  sorrow- 
ful even  unto  death.  And  on  the  cross  the 
anguish  he  felt  from  the  hidings  of  his  Fa- 
ther's face,  was   unspeakably  more  severe 


148  LETTERS  OS 

than  the  bodily  pains  he  underwent.  "  it 
pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him."  The 
sword  of  Jehovah  awoke  against  the  Shep- 
herd. His  soul  was  made  an  offering  for 
sin.  Whence  all  these  sufferings  of  the  Son 
of  God  ?  What  were  they  ?  They  were, 
we  say,  the  infliction  of  the  penalty  of  the 
law:  and  this,  in  our  apprehension,  the 
apostle  declares  very  plainly,  by  telling  us 
Christ  was  "  made  a  curse  for  us."  In  proof 
or  illustration  of  this  fact,  to  teach  us  the 
true  character  of  his  sufferings,  to  mark 
distinctly  the  relation  they  bore  to  sin,  he 
adduces  the  quotation,  "Cursed  is  every- 
one that  hangeth  on  a  tree."  It  is  found  on 
record  in  Deut.  xxi.  22,  23. 

But  why  was  it  thus  written  ?  Was  it  de- 
signed to  express  the  indignation  of  Jeho- 
vah against  the  crimes  of  all  who  were  thus 
put  to  death  ?  But  why,  it  may  be  asked, 
was  this  written  against  all  who  suffered 
capitally  by  hanging,  and  not  against  others 
who  suffered  by  decapitation  and  by  sto- 
ning ;  modes  of  punishment  used  by  the 
Jews,  in  relation  to  crimes  of  the  deepest 


THE   ATONEMENT-  149 

dye  ?  There  was  a  peculiar  reason  for  this 
record  ;  and  Scott,  in  his  comment  on  this 
place,  has  assigned  it :  "  In  the  current  opi- 
nion," says  this  able  writer,  "  they  who 
were  thus  suspended  were  deemed  accursed 
of  God  :  but  the  Holy  Spirit  doubtless  dic- 
tated this  expression  in  reference  to  Him, 
who  was  made  a  curse  for  us."  By  the  pro- 
vidence of  God  it  was  so  ordered  that  our 
Redeemer  died  that  particular  kind  of  death, 
which,  in  typical  reference  to  his  death, 
had  long  before  been  declared  to  be  ac- 
cursed; and  thus  he  appeared  visibly  and 
outwardly ',  as  in  fact  he  was  really,  dying 
under  the  curse  of  God,  or  penalty  of  the 
law.  Such  is  the  apostle's  meaning;  and 
this  the  design  of  his  quotation. 

The  quotation  establishes  the  fact  that 
the  immaculate  Saviour  was  accursed  of 
God.  But  none  can  be  accursed  by  the  righ- 
teous Jehovah,  but  those  whom  it  is  right 
and  just  to  curse.  Nor  can  any  be  declared 
by  him  to  be  accursed  except  those  against 
whom  his  law  denounces  a  curse ;  because 
he  has  no  curse  to  inflict  but  what  his  law 

N  2 


150  LETTERS  ON 

denounces.  It  follows,  then,  tliat  as  the 
spotless  Redeemer  was  accursed,  he  must 
have  been  under  the  curse  of  the  law ;  but 
as  he  could  not  be  under  it  in  consequence 
of  any  personal  transgression,  it  remains 
that,  as  we  have  already  shown,  he  was 
under  it  by  his  becoming  the  voluntary  sub- 
stitute of  sinners,  and  engaging  to  bear  the 
punishment  due  to  them. 

"  I  wonder,"  says  the  celebrated  Beza, 
quoted  by  Scott  on  this  text,  "  that  Jerome 
and  Erasmus  should  labour  and  seek  for  I 
know  not  what  figure  of  speech,  to  show 
that  Christ  was  not  called  accursed.  Truly 
in  this  is  placed  all  our  hope  :  in  this  the 
infinite  love  of  God  is  manifested  ;  in  this 
is  placed  our  salvation,  that  our  God  pro- 
perly and  without  any  figure,  poured  out 
all  his  wrath  on  his  own  Son  ; — caused  him 
to  be  accursed,  that  he  might  receive  us  into 
his  favour.  Finally,  without  any  figure, 
Christ  was  made  a  curse  for  us,  in  such  a 
manner  that  unless  he  had  been  truly  God, 
he  must  have  remained  under  the  curse  for 
ever,  from  which,  for  our  sakes,  he  emerg- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  151 

cd.  For,  indeed,  if  the  obedience  be  figura- 
tive and  imaginary,  so  must  our  hope  of 
glory  be." 

2.  The  New  School  urge,  as  a  second 
objection  against  the  doctrine  of  Christ  en- 
during the  penalty  of  the  Jaw,  the  impossi- 
bility of  the  fact.  "  It  is,"  says  one,  "  for 
ever  impossible  in  the  very  nature  of 
things,  that  Christ  should  become  liable  to 
suffer  the  punishment  which  the  law  has  de- 
nounced against  the  transgressor, — against 
him  alone.  The  law  has  no  penal  demands 
against  Christ — and  such  demands  it  can 
never  establish.  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it 
shall  die,"  is  the  threatening  of  the  law."* 
An  objection,  in  appearance,  formidable 
indeed  !  for  if  it  were  in  the  very  nature  of 
things  impossible  for  Christ  to  suffer  the 
punishment  due  to  sinners,  then  it  would 
be  a  hopeless  task  to  endeavour  to  establish 
it  as  a  fact  that  he  did  bear  that  punishment. 
But,  1  think,  notwithstanding  this  bold  as- 
sertion, the  passages  that  have  been  cited 

*  Beman,  p.  34. 


152  LETTERS  ON 

plainly  teach  us,  that,  in  the  judgment  of 
inspired  writers,  Christ  actually  did  bear 
the  penalty  of  the  law.  Let  us  examine 
the  proofs  by  which  this  confident  assertion 
is  supported. 

The  first  is,  that  the  penalty  of  the  law  is 
denounced  against  the  transgressor  alone  ; 
meaning  that  it  can  be  executed  on  him 
alone,  and  not  on  Christ.  But  this  is  mere- 
ly offering  one  assertion  to  confirm  another. 

The  second  proof  is  another  bare  asser- 
tion, that  "the  law  has  no  penal  demands 
against  Christ, — and  such  demands  it  can 
never  establish."  Neither  of  these  asser- 
tions contains  any  evidence. 

But  the  third,  being  a  quotation  from 
scripture,  seems  to  present  some  proof: 
"  The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die."  But 
how  does  this  prove  that  Christ  could  not 
endure  the  penalty  of  the  law  for  his  peo- 
ple? The  text  is  recorded  in  Ezekiel,  ch. 
xviii.  v.  4.  Examine  it,  and  you  will  find 
its  meaning  to  be  simply  this  :  That  in  the 
next  world  the  son  shall  not  die  or  be  pun- 
ished in  place  of  his  guilty  parent ;  nor  shall 


THE  ATONEMENT.  153 

the  parent  die  or  be  punished  in  place  of 
his  guilty  son  :  but  every  one  shall  bear  the 
punishment  of  his  own  sins.  The  Jews  had 
impiously  impeached  the  conduct  of  Jeho- 
vah in  his  treatment  of  them ;  and  he  was 
pleased  to  vindicate  himself  by  making  this 
statement  in  regard  to  the  principles  of  his 
administration.  But  what  has  this  to  do 
with  the  case  of  our  Saviour  ?  It  does  not 
declare  that  the  soul  of  Christ  should  not 
die;  for  his  soul  did  die  in  agony  and  pain. 
Nor  does  it  say  the  curse  of  the  law  could 
not  be  inflicted  on  him  as  the  substitute  of 
sinners ;  for  an  inspired  apostle  has  told  us 
the  curse  was  inflicted  on  him.  Nor  does 
it  say  the  law  had  no  penal  demands  against 
him  ;  for  he  "  was,"  as  Paul  teaches, "  made 
under  the  law;"  and  consequently,  as  has 
been  shown,  under  its  penal  demands.  To 
attempt  to  put  upon  this  text  either  of  these 
meanings,  is  only  attempting  to  set  one  part 
of  scripture  against  another.  Were  we  to 
detach  it  from  the  context,  and  separate  it 
from  its  connexion  with  other  portions  of 
the  Bible,  and  give  it  the  signification  which 


154  LETTERS  ON 

the  words  in  which  it  is  expressed  would, 
in  their  full  and  unqualified  meaning,  de- 
mand, we  should  shut  up  our  fallen  race 
in  hopeless  despair  ;  for  then  it  would  de- 
clare, that  every  soul  that  sinneth  shall  die 
eternally.  But  this  cannot  be  its  import ; 
because  we  know,  that  thousands  and  mil- 
lions are  saved  through  Christ,  and  will 
never  be  subject  to  eternal  death.  Nor  can 
the  meaning  attempted  to  be  imposed  upon 
this  text  in  the  above  quotation,  be  its  real 
meaning;  because  it  would  militate  against 
plain  scriptural  testimonies  to  the  contrary. 
Reasoning  similar  to  that  of  the  author  I 
have  referred  to,  has  been  put  upon  the 
threatening  denounced  against  Adam,  to 
prove  that  the  penalty  of  the  law  could  not 
be  executed  on  the  Redeemer.  "  Thou," 
j9dam,  "  shalt  die."  The  force  of  the  ar- 
gument lies  in  this  :  the  commination  was 
addressed  to  the  first  man  ;  and  therefore  it 
can  have  no  relation  to  another  individual, 
much  less  could  it  be  executed  on  the  spot- 
less Redeemer.  But  the  inference  is  wholly 
incorrect.     How  many  passages  does  the 


THE   ATONEMENT.  155 

Bible  contain,  which  have  respect  to  others 
than  the  particular  individual  or  individuals, 
to  whom  they  were  addressed  ?  All  the 
apostolical  epistles  were  thus  addressed,  yet 
who  does  not  know  that  they  were  design- 
ed for  the  whole  church?  Who  does  not 
know  that  promises,  and  threatenings,  and 
precepts  that  were  addressed  to  primitive 
Christians,  had  respect  to  Christians  in  every 
subsequent  age?  Who  does  not  know  that 
many  promises  given  to  the  apostles,  in  pri- 
vate conversations  of  our  Lord  with  them,  be- 
long to  all  his  future  disciples?  The  sentence 
denounced  against  the  woman,  in  Gen.  iii. 
16,  was  spoken  to  Eve  ;  and  yet  it  has  been 
executed  on  all  her  female  posterity :  and 
the  sentence  denounced  against  Adam  in 
the  17 — 19  verses,  has  been  inflicted  on  all 
his  offspring.  Indeed  almost  every  thing 
spoken  to  our  first  parents  had  a  reference 
to  their  descendants ;  and  as  they  are  born 
in  a  state  of  mortality ,  and  many  die  be- 
fore they  are  capable  of  personal  transgres- 
sion ;  it  is  manifest,  from  incontrovertible 
facts,  that   the  commination   addressed  to 


156  LETTERS  ON 

Adam  had  respect  to  his  posterity ;  because 
it  has,  in  every  age,  been  uniformly  execu- 
ted on  them.  And  as  our  blessed  Lord  sub- 
mitted to  the  stroke  of  death,  so  it  is,  as 
already  shown,  apparent,  that  he  endured 
the  penalty  of  a  violated  law. 

3.  It  is  objected  that  Christ  did  not  suffer 
spiritual  death. 

That  the  sacred  scriptures  represent  man- 
kind as  being  by  nature  "  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins,"  will  hardly  be  denied.  It  is  true 
that  sinners  love  their  depravity;  but  this 
is  no  reason  why  it  should  be  considered  as 
absurd  to  suppose  that  being  delivered  up 
to  the  dominion  of  sin,  was  comprehended 
in  the  sentence  of  death  denounced  against 
a  violation  of  the  Divine  law ;  because  to 
innocent  man,  delighting  in  holiness  and  in 
communion  with  God,  it  presented  a  terri- 
ble idea,  an  object  of  the  greatest  dread. 
That  God  does  punish  one  sin  by  giving  up 
the  offender  to  another,  is  clearly  taught  in 
the  volume  of  inspiration.  Speaking  of  the 
stupid  idolatry  of  the  ancient  heathen,  the 
apostle  says, "  for  this  cause  God  gave  them 


THE  ATONEMENT.  157 

up  unto  vile  affections. " "  And  even  as 

they  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in  their 
knowledge,  God  gave  them  over  to  a  repro- 
bate mind,  to  do  the  things  which  are  not 
convenient."  We,  therefore,  believe  that 
spiritual  death,  which  ensued  upon  the  with- 
drawing of  the  Holy  Spirit  from  the  soul  of 
man  in  consequence  of  his  sin,  was  included 
in  the  original  commination  of  a  righteous 
God  against  disobedience. 

The  Saviour  was  perfectly  free  from  sin. 
Had  the  slightest  stain  of  moral  pollution 
marred  his  obedience,  it  would  have  de- 
stroyed its  saving  influence,  and  indeed 
made  him  as  helpless  as  any  of  our  fallen 
race.  In  bearing  the  penalty  of  the  law,  it 
was  not  necessary  that  the  curse  should,  in 
all  its  circumstances,  operate  on  him  as  on 
original  transgressors.  It  was  sufficient  for 
him  to  endure  what  was  essential  to  the 
curse,  and  what  the  law  demanded  from  him 
as  the  surety  of  sinful  men.  Now,  this  con- 
sisted in  shame,  disgrace,  pain,  anguish,  and 
misery  in  the  whole  of  his  human  nature,  in 
soul  and  in  body.  Punishment  may,  in  cir- 
o 


158  LETTERS  ON 

cumstances,  be  very  different  in  different  per- 
sons. Capital  offences  are,  by  human  law, 
punished  in  various  ways;  and  sometimes 
one  mode  of  inflicting  death  is  commuted  for 
another.  The  same  diversity  of  circumstan- 
ces is  seen  in  the  application  of  punishment 
under  the  Divine  government.  All  impeni- 
tent sinners  are  subjected  to  the  same  curse 
of  a  violated  law.  Yet  how  different  the  sor- 
rows, the  pains,  the  afflictions  of  life  in  dif- 
ferent men  !  How  differently  is  natural  death 
inflicted  !  On  one  by  a  sudden  stroke  of 
lightning;  on  another  by  a  lingering  dis- 
ease !  This  man  perishes  in  the  ocean  ;  that 
man  is  consumed  in  the  flames  of  his  dwell- 
ing. One  dies  through  sheer  pain;  another 
gently  expires.  But  in  all  these  cases, 
thus  varying  in  circumstances,  the  sen- 
tence of  the  Divine  law  is  inflicted.  And 
for  any  thing  we  know  to  the  contrary,  the 
same  diversity  in  regard  to  punishment 
may  exist  in  the  next  world.  The  essence 
of  the  curse  the  Redeemer  unquestionably 
did  endure.  He  suffered  in  sow/and  in  body. 
He  was  exposed  to  shame,  disgrace,  and 


IHE   ATONEMENT.  159 

ignominy.  He  endured  unnumbered  sor- 
rows and  miseries.  He  was  deprived  of 
the  light  of  his  Father's  countenance,  so  that 
he  had  to  complain  of  being  forsaken  of 
him.  His  soul  was  exceedingly  sorrowful, 
even  unto  death.  And  he  actually  under- 
went a  separation  of  his  soul  from  his  body, 
and  remained  for  some  time  in  the  state  of 
the  dead.  "  Thou  shalt  die,"  said  the  law  ; 
and  the  Saviour,  the  surety  of  sinners,  did 
die,  in  the  very  way  the  law  required. 

4.  It  is  objected  against  our  doctrine 
that  the  Redeemer  did  not  endure  eternal 
death. 

In  the  eternity  of  future  punishment  all 
sound  theologians  agree.  They  know  that 
sin  deserves  everlasting  torments,  and  that 
a  righteous  God  has  threatened  to  inflict 
them  on  all  impenitent  transgressors. 

But  why  is  the  punishment  of  sin  eternal  ? 
Because  a  mere  creature,  being  incapable 
of  sustaining  it  in  any  given  period,  it  must 
be  prolonged  through  everlasting  ages.  But 
the  divine  Redeemer  was  able  to  support 
his  human  nature  under  any  degree  of  pain 


160  LETTERS  ON 

and  misery  that  the  curse  due  to  the  sins 
of  his  people  required  to  be  inflicted  on  him  ; 
and  the  infinite  dignity  of  his  person 
imparted  to  his  temporary  sufferings  a  value 
that  made  them  a  fair  and  full  equivalent 
for  the  everlasting  sufferings  of  all  who  shall 
be  finally  saved.  By  this  mode  of  inflict- 
ing the  penalty,  the  justice  of  God  was 
better  satisfied,  the  honour  of  his  law  more 
effectually  maintained,  and  the  universe 
more  impressively  warned  against  the  evil 
of  disobedience,  than  could  have  been  done 
by  the  infliction  of  it  on  our  whole  race. 
So  that  in  the  vicarious  death  of  Jesus 
Christ,  as  the  substitute  of  his  people,  all 
the  ends  of  punishment  were  completely 
and  gloriously  answered.  No  duration  of 
suffering  in  a  guilty  creature  can  ever  satisfy 
Divine  justice;  it  must  run  parallel  with 
his  immortal  existence  :  but  the  sufferings, 
endured  by  the  immaculate  and  divine  Sa- 
viour, in  the  short  term  of  his  earthly  life, 
so  entirely  exhausted  the  curse,  that  law 
and  justice  did  not,  and  could  not,  demand 
a  single  pain,  a  solitary  tear,  or  one  groan 


THE   ATONEMENT.  161 

more,  to  render  his  awful  sacrifice  of  him- 
self complete.  The  eternity  of  punishment 
is  to  be  considered  rather  as  a  circumstance 
growing  out  of  a  case,  than  as  belonging 
to  its  essence.  It  depends  on  the  nature 
of  the  subject.  In  a  mere  creature  it 
must  be  eternal ;  but  not  in  a  Divine  sub- 
stitute. To  have  prolonged  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  beyond  the  period  in  which  he 
endured  them,  would  have  been  unjust. 

Finally: 

To  our  views  of  the  atonement,  it  is  ob- 
jected, that  the  Redeemer  could  not,  al- 
though a  divine  person,  endure  the  amount 
of  suffering  required  from  him.  'flf/j 
says  a  writer  frequently  quoted,  "one  soul 
were  to  be  saved  by  the  atonement,  Christ 
must  sustain  an  amount  of  suffering  equal 
to  that  involved  in  the  eternal  condemna- 
tion of  that  one  soul ;  and  if  a  thousand 
were  to  be  saved,  Christ  must  suffer  a  thou- 
sand times  that  amount,  and  in  the  same 
proportion  for  any  number  who  are  to  be 
rescued  from  perdition  and  exalted  to  glo- 
ry."— "  Now,  as  a  single  sin  deserved  eter- 
o2 


162  LETTERS  ON 

nal  misery,  which  certainly  implies  infinite 
suffering,  we  cannot  see  how  every  sin  of 
all  the  redeemed  could  have  been  expiated 
in  a  few  short  hours,  by  the  agonies  of  the 
human  nature  of  Christ,  though  this  nature 
was  united  to  the  Godhead.  We  say  that 
Christ  himself  could  not  have  made  an  ade- 
quate atonement — if  this  atonement  im- 
plied, that  he  must  endure  sufferings  equal 
to  the  eternal  damnation  of  all  those  who 
will  finally  be  saved. "*  Hence  this  writer 
concludes  that  the  penalty  of  the  law  was 
not  endured  by  the  great  Redeemer. 

In  reply  to  this  objection,  I  remark  that 
the  author  is  mistaken  in  attributing  the 
expiation  of  sin  solely  to  the  sufferings  en- 
dured by  the  Redeemer  "  in  a  few  short 
hours,"  at  the  close  of  life.  We  believe, 
as  the  scriptures  teach  us,  that,  as  he  did  not 
feel  a  single  pang  on  his  own  account,  so 
all  the  sorrows  and  afflictions,  persecution 
and  distress,  agonies  and  torments  to  which 
he  submitted  during  his  abode  on  earth, 
were  inflicted  on   him  on  account  of  our 

♦  Beman,  p.  78. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  163 

sins,  and  constituted  the  atonement  he  made 
for  us.     How  much  he  suffered  it  is  impos- 
sible to  tell.     None  but  God  can  conceive 
the  amount.     But  we  by  no  means  either 
teach,  or  believe,  that  he  suffered  so  much 
for  one,  and  so  much  for  another;  and  that 
his  agonies  increased  in  their  intensity  just 
in  proportion  to  the  number  that  will  finally 
be  saved.     We  believe,  and  therefore  teach, 
that  he  endured  the  curse  or  penalty  of 
the  law;  precisely  that  amount  of  sufferings 
which  Divine  justice,  considering  the  infi- 
nite dignity  of  his  person,  deemed  requi- 
site to  make  a  full  and  complete  satisfaction 
for  the  sins  of  his  people.     But  it  is  erro- 
neous to  suppose  that  this  amount  of  suffer- 
ing was  regulated  exactly  according  to  the 
number  that  shall  be  saved ;   so  that,  if  the 
number  had  been  less,  his  sufferings  would 
have  been  diminished,  or  if  greater,  they 
would  have  been  increased.     The  intrinsic 
merit  of  the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ,  is, 
as  we  have  shown,  in  its  own  nature  infi- 
nite, and  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  any 
number  of  sinners  of  our  race  to  whom  it 


164  letters  os- 

niay  be  applied.  Such  was  the  nature  of 
the  representative  principle  on  which 
Adam  acted  for  us,  that  his  first  sin,  by 
which  the  covenant  was  violated,  has  con- 
veyed guilt  and  pollution  to  all  his  poste- 
rity, and  would  be  equally  destructive  to 
all,  if  the  number  of  his  descendants  were 
to  be  increased  beyond  that  which  the  Di- 
vine decree  has  determined  on.  And  from 
the  nature  of  the  same  representative  prin- 
ciple, it  follows,  that  if  all  mankind  were 
to  become  united  to  the  Redeemer  by  faith, 
and  the  infinite  merits  of  his  atonement 
were  to  be  applied  to  them,  all  would  be 
saved. 

Every  reflecting  mind  will  see,  that  the 
divine  nature  of  Christ  imparted  to  the  suf- 
ferings and  obedience  of  his  human  nature, 
to  which  it  was  personally  united,  an  infi- 
nite value;  and  rendered  him  capable  of 
enduring  sufferings  that  were,  in  the  eye  of 
law  and  justice,  a  full  and  perfect  equiva- 
lent "for  the  eternal  damnation  of  all  those 
who  will  be  finally  saved."  A  small  piece 
of  gold  is  in  value  equal  to  a  much  larger 


THE   ATONEMENT.  165 

quantity  of  silver,  and  a  still  greater  quan- 
tity of  baser  metal.  A  diamond  will  sur- 
pass in  value  silver  or  gold  that  would  out- 
weigh it  a  thousand  times.  The  blood  of 
a  rational  creature  is  worth  more  than  the 
blood  of  dumb  animals ;  and  the  blood  of 
Christ  is  infinitely  more  precious  than  that 
of  man.  From  sinful  creatures  justice  de- 
mands eternal  torments ;  but  from  the  im- 
maculate Son  of  God,  while  acting  as  the 
substitute  of  sinners,  it  could  demand  no 
more  than  he  actually  suffered  while  on 
earth,  by  which  he  exhausted  the  terrors  of 
the  curse.  The  Father  filled  the  cup  that 
he  put  into  his  hands  with  every  bitter  in- 
gredient which  the  penalty  of  his  law  re- 
quired. The  human  nature  of  Christ 
shrunk  back  for  a  moment  from  the  deadly 
draught,  and  prayed  that,  if  possible,  it 
might  pass  from  him 5  but  knowing  it  must 
be  taken,  or  man  must  perish,  he  drank  the 
cup  to  its  very  dregs.  "  Ye  know  that  ye 
were  not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things, 
as  silver  and  gold,  from  your  vain  conver- 
sation received  by  tradition  from  your  fa- 


166  LETTERS  ON 

thers ;  but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ, 
as  of  a  lamb  without  spot  and  without  ble- 
mish."    1  Pet.  i.  18,  19. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  answer  the 
objections  brought  by  our  brethren  against 
the  views  we  entertain  of  the  nature  of  the 
atonement.  The  attempt,  I  hope,  has  been 
a  successful  one. 

Other  points  of  contrast  I  reserve  for  sub- 
sequent letters.  Should  Providence  per- 
mit, I  may  compare  the  two  theories  in  re- 
ference to  the  honour  they  reflect  on  the 
perfections  of  God,  on  his  holy  law,  and 
on  the  work  of  our  Redeemer. 

In  the  mean  time,  I  remain, 

Yours,  affectionately. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  167 

LETTER   VIII. 

The  Truth  of  God. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

In  the  two  preceding  letters,  I  endea- 
voured to  prove,  that  the  definite  scheme 
accords  with  the  scriptural  representations 
of  the  nature  of  the  atonement,  far  better 
than  the  indefinite.     Let  us  now, 

II.  Look  at  the  two  theories  in  another 
point  of  contrast,  and  inquire  which  puts 
the  most  honour  on  the  Divine  perfections  ; 
the  truth,  the  justice,  and  the  love  of  God. 

The  truth  of  God  will  first  claim  atten- 
tion. Truth  is  a  perfection  essential  to  the 
Divine  nature  ;  an  attribute  of  which  the 
Supreme  Being  can  never  be  divested.  He 
is  celebrated  by  the  inspired  writers  as  "  a 
God  of  truth"  "  and  plenteous  in  truth." 
"  All  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and 
truth,  to  such  as  keep  his  covenant  and 
testimonies."     "  He  shall  judge  the  world 


168  LETTERS  ON 

in  righteousness  and  the  people  with  his 
truth"  "  The  Lord  is  good  ;  his  mercy 
is  everlasting,  and  his  truth  endureth  to  all 
generations."  "  He  keepeth  truth  for 
ever."  "  The  word  of  the  Lord  is  right, 
and  all  his  works  are  done  in  truth"  "All 
his  works  are  truth,  and  his  ways  judg- 
ment." "  God  is  not  man  that  he  should 
lie."  "  The  Strength  of  Israel  will  not 
lie."     "  God  that  cannot  lie" 

Such  are  the  testimonies  of  inspired  wri- 
ters to  this  glorious  perfection  of  the  Divine 
nature.  Jehovah  is  truth  itself.  He  al- 
ways speaks  the  truth  ;  and  he  always  does 
according  to  truth.  It  is  impossible  for 
him  to  deviate,  in  one  word  or  action, 
from  the  requirements  of  truth.  He  is  true 
in  his  threatenings  as  well  as  in  his  pro- 
mises. 

Now,  this  attribute  of  the  Supreme 
Ruler  of  the  universe,  is  honoured  by  the 
views  we  take  of  the  atonement.  We  re- 
present him  as  being  incapable  of  departing 
from  his  word,  by  suffering  sin  to  escape 
the  penalty  of  the  law.     His  threatenings. 


THE  ATONEMENT-  169 

we  believe,  are  always  executed  either  on 
the  head  of  the  transgressor,  or  on  the  head 
of  his  surety.  Jehovah  fulfils  his  commi- 
nations,  exactly  according  to  his  meaning 
when  he  denounced  them.  Not  so  our 
brethren  of  the  New  School.  They  aban- 
don the  penalty  of  the  law.  It  is  executed 
neither  on  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord,  nor 
on  their  Redeemer.  Sin  escapes  without 
punishment.  "There,"  says  one,  "is  a 
secret  and  perpetual  recurrence  to  the  idea 
that  Christ  has  paid  the  demand,  or  suffered 
the  penalty  of  the  law,  so  that  its  claims 
are  now  quieted,  and  the  sentence  of  con- 
demnation repealed.  But  this  is  a  funda- 
mental, and  may  prove  a  fatal  error.  There 
is  nothing  in  the  character  of  Christ's  suf- 
ferings which  can  affect  or  modify  the  pe- 
nalty of  the  law.  These  sufferings  were  not 
legal.  They  constituted  no  part  of  that 
curse  which  was  threatened  against  the 
transgressor."*  Again  :  "  The  atonement 
paid  no  debt — it  involved  the  infliction  of 
no  penalty  "\ 

*  Beman,  p.  68.  f  Ibid.  p.  72. 

P 


170  LETTERS  ON 

If  these  assertions  be  true;  if  the  penalty 
of  the  law  has  been  inflicted  neither  on  the 
saved  sinner,  nor  on  his  Redeemer ;  then 
his  sins  go  unpunished:  no  satisfaction  is 
made  to  Divine  justice  ;  and  the  truth  of 
God  is  prostrated  in  the  dust.  He  threat- 
ens; but  he  does  not  execute  his  threaten- 
ings.  He  declares  that  sin  shall  be  punish- 
ed; but  he  pardons  it,  and  suffers  it  to  es- 
cape without  punishment. 

How  will  our  brethren  get  over  this  dif- 
ficulty? How  can  they  save  the  honour  of 
the  Divine  veracity  ?  Will  they  say,  that 
God  is  not  bound  to  fulfil  his  threatenings, 
while  they  admit  that  he  is  bound  to  fulfil 
his  promises?  I  am  not  ignorant  of  the  dis- 
tinction made  between  a  promise  and  a 
threatening.  I  know  it  has  been  said  that, 
as  by  the  former  a  right  is  passed  over  to 
him  to  whom  the  promise  is  given,  justice 
requires  the  promiser  to  act  according  to 
his  engagement;  but  in  respect  to  the  latter, 
the  matter  is  very  different:  no  right  being 
conveyed  to  another,  no  obligation  of  jus- 
tice demands  the  fulfilment  of  the  threaten- 


THE   ATONEMENT.  171 

ing.     This  distinction,  however,  will   not 
suffice  to  evince,    that  the  truth  of  God 
does  not  create   an  obligation  to  inflict  the 
penalty  of  his  law,  on  every  sin  by  which 
it  is  violated.    Justice,  I  admit,  requires  the 
fulfilment  of  promises  ;  but  does  not  truth 
require  the  same  ?  It  is  to  Jehovah's  truth, 
and  not  to  his  justice,  the  inspired  writer 
refers  us,  when  he  proves  the  immutability 
of  the  Divine  counsel.     The  promise  and 
the  oath  of  God   are  the  two  immutable 
things,  in  which  it  is  impossible  for  God  to 
lie.     (See  Heb.  vi.  17,  18.)     If,  then,  it  is 
impossible  for  the  God  of  truth  to  lie  by 
breaking  his  promise,  it  is   manifest  that 
he  is  bound  by  his  truth,  as  well  as  by  his 
justice,   to   fulfil  his  promises;  and  if  he 
pays  such  a  sacred  regard  to  truth  involved 
in   his  promises,  is  it  not  evident  he  must 
pay  an  equal  regard  to  truth   involved  in 
his  threatenings  ?     The  claims  of  truth  are 
the  same  in  both  cases;   and  if  the  viola- 
tion of  truth  would  be  lying  in  the  one,  it 
surely  would   be   so   in   the   other.      The 
conclusion  is,  that  every  threatening  of  Je^ 


172  LETTERS  ON 

hovah  must  be  fulfilled,  according  to   its 
true  import. 

But  it  will  be  said,  the  non-execution  of 
the  penalty  of  the  law  involves  no  breach 
of  truth,  because  the  penalty  denotes  only 
the  real  demerit  of  sin.  That  the  penalty 
expresses  the  judgment  of  our  divine  Law- 
giver on  the  demerit  of  sin,  is  readily  con- 
ceded; but  to  maintain  that  it  involves  no- 
thing more,  and  gives  no  pledge  that  it 
shall  be  inflicted,  is  to  maintain,  in  our  ap- 
prehension, a  manifest  absurdity.  Who 
ever  heard  of  a  human  lawpromulged  with 
such  a  sanction;  a  law  declaring  simply 
what  punishment  a  violation  of  it  would  de- 
serve, but  giving  no  assurance  that  the  crime 
would  be  punished?  Such  a  law  would 
disgrace  the  wisdom  of  an  earthly  legisla- 
ture; and  shall  we  dishonour  infinite  wis- 
dom and  supreme  authority,  by  imputing 
such  a  law  to  Him  by  whom  kings  rule 
and  princes  decree  justice  ?  The  penalty 
annexed  to  his  law,  while  it  declares  the 
demerit  of  sin,  denounces  wo  against  the 
transgressor.     It  assures  us  that  sin  shall 


"I  HI     ATONEMENT.  173 

not  go  unpunished.  It  is  written,  "the 
wages  of  sin  is  death ;"  but  it  is  also  writ- 
ten, "  In  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof 
thou  shalt  surely  die"  "  The  soul  that 
sinneth  it  shall  die."  "  Who  will  render 
unto  every  man  according  to  his  deeds: — 
unto  them  that  are  contentious,  and  do  not 
obey  the  truth,  but  obey  unrighteousness, 
indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and  an- 
guish, upon  every  soul  of  man  that  doeth 
evil."  "  If  ye  live  after  the  flesh  ye  shall 
die."  "  For  as  many  as  have  sinned  with- 
out law  shall  perish  without  law:  and  as 
many  as  have  sinned  in  the  law  shall  be 
judged  by  the  law."  Do  these  declara- 
tions contain  nothing  more  than  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Supreme  Lawgiver  as  to  the 
demerit  of  sin?  Who  does  not  see  that 
they  solemnly  assure  us  that  sin  shall  be 
punished,  and  that  the  truth  of  God  is 
pledged  to  see  them  fulfilled  according  to 
their  true  mean  ins? 

But,  say  our  brethren,  the  threatenings 
of  God  are  conditional.     "  Yet  forty  days, 
and  Nineveh  shall  be  overthrown."     But 
r  2 


174  LETTERS  ON 

the  Ninevites  repented;  "and  God  repented 
of  the  evil  that  he  had  said  he  would  do  unto 
them,  and  he  did  it  not."  Parents  often 
forbear  to  execute  their  threatenings ;  and 
human  governments  frequently  remit  the 
penalty  of  the  law  in  favour  of  unhappy 
culprits.  We  grant  magistrates  are  em- 
powered to  set  aside  the  execution  of  sen- 
tences denounced  against  the  violators  of 
human  laws;  and  whenever  they  exercise 
their  dispensing  power,  in  conformity  with 
the  design  for  which  they  received  it,  no 
breach  of  truth  is  involved  in  the  transac- 
tion ;  because  every  law  to  which  this  re- 
mitting power  extends  is  subjected  to  this 
condition,  that  its  penalty  may,  in  certain 
cases,  be  set  aside.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
it  is  to  be  observed,  that  the  very  necessity 
of  this  dispensing  power  grows  out  of  the 
imperfection  of  human  government,  and 
the  impossibility  of  adapting  general  laws 
to  every  particular  case.  But  no  such  ne- 
cessity exists  in  the  divine  government; 
which  is  infinitely  perfect,  and  can,  with 


HIE   ATONEMENT. 


175 


infallible  certainty,   apportion  punishment 
to  the  demerit  of  every  transgressor. 

The  escape  of  the  Ninevites  is  indeed  to 
be  attributed  to  the  well  known  clemency 
of  God.     But  it  produced   no  breach   of 
truth ;  for  it  is  evident,  from  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  that  the  terrifying  de- 
nunciation of  the  prophet  was  designed  to 
awaken  them  to  repentance,  and  lead  them 
to   reformation.     The    effect   was   happy. 
The  people  did  repent.     "  God  saw  their 
works,   that  they  turned  from   their  evil 
way."     When,  therefore,  the  Lord  deter- 
mined to  spare  them,  he  acted  according  to 
an  established  principle  in  his  government 
over  the  nations.     "  At  what  instant  I  shall 
speak  concerning  a  nation  and  concerning 
a  kingdom  to  pluck  up,  and  to  pull  down, 
and   to  destroy  it;   if  that   nation   against 
whom  I  have  pronounced,  turn  from  their 
evil,  I  will  repent  of  the  evil  that  I  thought 
to  do  unto  them."*     The  threatening  was 
then   conditional ;   and   consequently  the 
truth  of  God  did  not  require  its  execution 


•  .Tcr,  13. 


176  LETTERS  OK 

on  a  repenting  people.  In  sparing  them, 
Jehovah,  who  is  merciful  and  slow  to  anger, 
acted  according  to  his  real  intention  in 
commissioning  his  servant  Jonah  to  pro- 
claim his  wrath  against  the  Ninevites,  and 
the  true  import  of  his  awful  denunciation. 
But  from  the  conditionality  annexed  to 
threatenings  of  temporal  calamities,  in  re- 
spect to  nations  and  individuals,  it  will  by 
no  means  follow  that  the  penal  sanctions  of 
God's  holy  and  eternal  law  are,  in  like 
manner,  conditional.  Parents,  it  is  true, 
do  often  remit  punishment  to  their  chil- 
dren; and  duty  sometimes  requires  that 
their  threatenings  should  not  be  executed. 
But  Jehovah  is  above  all  authority.  His 
conduct  is  not  subject  to  the  rules  that  go- 
vern the  conduct  of  imperfect  and  erring 
mortals.  When  a  parent  threatens  to  chas- 
tise a  child,  he  may  really  design  to  do  so; 
and  yet  he  may  afterwards  see  cause  to 
change  his  purpose,  and  lay  aside  the  rod. 
But  when  the  omniscient  God  utters  a 
threatening,  he  knows  all  possible  circum- 
stances.    Nothing  unforeseen  can  arise  to 


THE   ATONEMENT.  177 

induce  a  departure  from  his  original  pur- 
pose; and  consequently  his  truth  demands 
the  infliction  of  the  penalty  of  his  law  on 
every  sin,  agreeably  to  its  true  import. 

Our  brethren,  however,  will  insist,  that, 
as  the  penalty  of  the  law  is  not  inflicted  on 
the  saved,  it  cannot  be  executed  on  any 
other  person.  They  strenuously  maintain 
the  Redeemer  did  not  bear  the  curse  of  the 
law.  But  here  zeal  for  their  peculiar  views 
carries  them  along,  in  opposition  to  plain 
testimonies  of  inspired  writers.  Christ  did 
endure,  as  was  shown  in  my  last  letter,  the 
curse  of  the  broken  law,  for  all  who  believe 
in  him:  and  that  this  transfer  of  punishment 
from  the  original  offenders  to  their  Surety- 
Redeemer,  was  consistent  with  adherence 
to  truth,  we  are  taught  to  believe  by  Infi- 
nite Wisdom,  under  whose  inspiration  the 
prophets  and  apostles  wrote.  The  plan  of 
salvation  was  devised  in  the  Eternal  Mind 
before  the  creation  of  the  world;  the  Son 
of  God,  in  the  character  of  Mediator,  was 
set  up  from  everlasting;  believers  were 
chosen  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the 


178  LETTERS  ON 

world;  and  immediately  alter  the  fall  of 
man,  he,  the  seed  of  the  woman,  was  pro- 
mised, as  coming  to  destroy  the  works  of 
the  devil :  and  of  consequence  it  will  follow, 
that,  when  the  Lawgiver  at  first  denounced 
the  penalty  of  death  in  the  hearing  of  inno- 
cent man,  he  did  it  in  view  of  all  these 
facts,  and  of  that  transfer  of  the  curse  from 
the  head  of  his  people  to  the  head  of  their 
Divine  Surety,  which  he  contemplated,  as 
the  way  to  effect  their  salvation.  In  the 
death  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  a  satisfaction  for 
sin,  the  truth  of  God  shines  in  all  its  lus- 
tre. The  penalty  of  a  violated  law  is  di- 
verted from  the  sinner;  and  yet  it  is  fully 
executed,  in  the  bitter  agonies  of  our  im- 
maculate Redeemer. 

In  opposition  to  our  views,  an  argument 
has  been  drawn  from  the  history  of  Adam. 
The  preacher  began  with  premising,  that 
he  believed  God  always  acted  according  to 
his  real  meaning  in  his  threatenings;  and, 
then,  in  order  to  prove  the  threatening  an- 
nexed to  the  covenant  made  with  Adam 
was  not  executed,  he  observed  that  it  de- 


THE   ATONEMENT.  179 

nounced  temporal  death,  to  be  inflicted  on 
the  very  day  of  his  transgression.  But 
this,  said  he,  was  not  inflicted;  Adam  did 
not  die,  till  he  had  lived  upwards  of  nine 
hundred  years.  Besides,  the  penalty  was 
eternal  death ;  God  declared  that  Adam 
should  die  eternally.  But  Adam  was  saved; 
and  Jesus  Christ  did  not  suffer  eternal 
death:  consequently,  the  penalty  was  exe- 
cuted neither  on  Adam,  nor  on  the  Re- 
deemer. 

Such  was  his  argument.  He  could  not 
but  be  aware  that  it  would  be  objected, 
that,  according  to  this  statement,  the  devil 
spake  the  truth,  when,  in  tempting  our 
first  parents,  he  affirmed,  in  opposition  to 
their  understanding  of  the  meaning  of  the 
threatening,  "  Ye  shall  not  surely  die." 
This  he  could  not  deny;  and  to  do  away 
the  force  of  an  objection,  so  revolting  to 
the  minds  of  common  Christians,  he  ob- 
served, that,  to  make  temptations  success- 
ful, there  must  be  a  mixture  of  truth  with 
falsehood. — A  feeble  answer! 

Now,  in  reply  to  this  curious  argument, 


ISO  LETTERS  ON 

it  is  obvious  to  remark,  that  the  construc- 
tion put  on  the  threatening  does  not  accord 
with  the  preacher's  preliminary  observa- 
tion; for,  if  God  always  acts  agreeably  to 
the  real  meaning  of  his  declarations,  then  it 
is  certain  he  did  not,  by  his  threatening  to 
Adam,  mean  he  should  undergo  temporal 
death  on  the  very  day  of  his  transgression; 
because,  as  Adam's  natural  life  was  not  de- 
stroyed on  that  day,  God  did,  by  his  own 
conduct,  show  that  this  was  not  his  mean- 
ing. Nor  does  it  appear  that  our  first  pa- 
rent so  understood  the  threatening;  for 
knowing  himself  to  be  the  constituted  head 
of  a  numerous  progeny  who  were  to  de- 
scend from  him,  he  had  no  reason  thus  to 
construe  it.  But  he  actually  did,  in  a  dif- 
ferent sense,  die  on  the  very  day  in  which 
he  sinned.  He  lost  the  favour  of  his  Maker; 
he  was  deprived  of  spiritual  life;  the  Holy 
Spirit  left  his  soul ;  he  lost  the  Divine 
image,  became  corrupt  in  his  moral  nature, 
fell  under  the  dominion  of  sin,  and  the 
power  of  spiritual  death :  his  natural  consti- 
tution underwent  a  great  change;  the  seeds 


THE   ATONEMENT.  181 

of  death  were  sown  in  it,  and  he  became  a 
mortal  man  :  he  was,  moreover,  ashamed, 
fled  at  the  voice  of  his  Maker,  and  vainly  at- 
tempted to  hide  himself  from  his  presence. 
Besides,  sentence  of  death  was  pronounced 
upon  him  by  his  offended  Sovereign ;  and 
he  became  legally  dead.  In  this  sense, 
he  actually  died  on  the  very  day  of  his 
transgression ;  and  thus  Jehovah  himself  has, 
by  his  treatment  of  the  culprit,  interpreted 
the  real  meaning  of  his  own  threatening. 

That  eternal  death  was  involved  in  the 
penalty  annexed  to  the  first  covenant,  and 
that  it  is  most  unequivocally  denounced 
against  all  impenitent  sinners,  we  assuredly 
believe.  But  it  is  plain  the  word  eternal 
was  not  used  in  the  threatening  against 
Adam ;  and  it  seems  to  us,  that  if  it  had 
been  as  plainly  and  positively  declared 
that  he  should  surely  and  personally  die 
eternally,  in  case  of  violating  the  covenant, 
as  it  was  that  he  should  surely  die  on  the 
day  of  his  eating  the  forbidden  fruit,  his 
condition  would  have  been  hopeless.  For 
we  believe  that  when  Jehovah  condescends 
Q 


182  LETTERS  ON 

to  speak  to  us  in  human  language,  he  is  to 
be  understood  according  to  the  common 
use  of  words,  and  that  he  always  means 
what  he  says.  His  truth  is  pledged,  not 
only  in  his  predictions,  as  has  been  taught 
by  some,  but  in  his  threatenings  too.  In 
the  latter  he  as  really  means  what  he  says, 
as  in  the  former:  and  in  fact  all  threaten- 
ings have  the  nature  of  predictions.  Had, 
therefore,  the  original  commination  been 
expressed  in  the  terms  we  have  adverted  to, 
the  case  of  Adam  would  have  been  remedi- 
less. But  these  awful  terms  were  not  em- 
ployed. The  threatening  was  denounced 
in  such  language  as  to  render  his  salva- 
tion consistent  with  Divine  truth;  in 
language  corresponding  to  those  schemes 
of  mercy  which  were  about  to  open 
their  treasures  of  grace  and  love  on  this 
fallen  world.  Eternal  death  is  now  de- 
nounced against  every  sinner;  but  surely 
the  meaning  of  the  threatening  is  not  that 
every  sinner  of  our  race  shall  certainly  die 
eternally;  for  then  who  could  be  saved? 
The  import  obviously  is,  that  every  sinner 


THE   ATONEMENT.  1S3 

deserves  this  tremendous  punishment;  and 
that  all  who  refuse  to  rely  on  the  satisfac- 
tion for  sin  made  by  Jesus  Christ,  shall 
most  certainly  endure  eternal  misery.  The 
true  meaning,  then,  of  the  original  penalty 
was,  that  Adam  should  surely  die  on  the 
day  of  his  disobedience  in  the  way  explain- 
ed; but  not  that  he  should  as  certainly  die 
eternally.  He  became  indeed  subject  to 
eternal  death,  just  as  sinners  now  are;  but 
his  salvation  was  as  consistent  with  the  lan- 
guage of  the  penalty  and  its  real  import, 
as  that  of  any  of  his  posterity  who  lie  under 
the  same  dreadful  curse. 

From  the  history  of  Adam  no  evidence 
can  be  derived,  to  prove  that  the  penalty  of 
the  law  has  failed  in  its  execution,  or  that 
the  God  of  truth  has  ever  acted,  in  a  single 
instance,  contrary  to  the  true  meaning  of 
his  words.  Our  first  parent  actually  did 
die,  according  to  the  real  import  of  the 
threatening;  and  as  he  from  the  first  ex- 
pected to  be  the  progenitor  of  a  numerous 
posterity,  and  at  the  time  of  his  fall  had  no 
posterity,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that 


184  LETTERS  ON 

he  did  not  himself  understand  by  the  threat- 
ening, that  his  mortal  life  was  to  terminate 
on  the  very  day  of  his  transgressing  the 
command  of  his  Maker;  and  both  promises 
and  threatenings  are  obligatory,  only  in  the 
sense  in  which  they  are  really  understood 
by  the  different  parties  concerned  in 
them,  at  the  time  of  making  them.  Jesus 
Christ,  the  great  Redeemer,  did  truly, 
endure,  as  has  been  proved,  the  penalty  of 
the  law;  and  if  Adam  has  been  saved,  it 
was  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  and 
satisfaction  for  sin,  made  by  the  promised 
seed  of  the  woman. 

Sincerely  yours. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  1S5 


LETTER  IX. 

The  Justice  of  God. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

We  have  seen  how  much  more  honour 
is  reflected  on  the  truth  of  God,  by  the 
doctrine  we  teach,  than  by  that  taught  by 
our  brethren.  Let  us  proceed  to  inquire 
m  which  of  the  two  schools,  the  honour 
of  divine  justice  is  most  exhibited. 

Contemplating  the  cross  of  Christ  in  the 
light  in  which  our  theory  presents  it,  we 
immediately  see  a  glorious  display  of  Di- 
vine justice.  Is  an  explanation  of  that 
awful  spectacle  required?  Is  the  reason  of 
the  sufferings  of  the  immaculate  Redeemer 
demanded  ?  We  reply,  it  was  right  that  he 
should  suffer,  because  he  assumed  the  place 
of  sinners.  Had  he  not  become  their  sub- 
stitute, justice  could  have  had  no  claim  on 
him,  for  the  payment  of  their  debt.  But 
as,  in  infinite  compassion  to  them  in  their 


186  LETTERS  ON 

lost  and  ruined  condition,  he  was  pleased 
to  undertake  their  redemption,  and  become 
their  substitute:  he  was  "  made  under  the 
law,"*  subject  to  all  its  demands,  penal  as 
well  as  preceptive.  Having  thus  assumed 
the  responsibilities  of  his  people  and  stand- 
ing charged  with  their  sins,  justice  could  of 
course  require  from  him  a  satisfaction  for 
the  dishonour  which  they  had  done  to  the 
law  and  government  of  God  by  their  trans- 
gressions; and  justly  inflict  on  him  that 
awful  penalty  which  they  had  incurred. 
The  penalty  must  be  executed.  The  truth 
of  God  insists  on  its  execution;  his  law  de- 
mands it;  and  consequently  his  justice 
could  righteously  lay  it  on  the  Saviour, 
who  had  voluntarily  taken  the  place  of  sin- 
ners, and  engaged  to  satisfy  all  the  demands 
of  law  and  justice  against  them. 

This  is  the  reason  of  the  dreadful  suffer- 
ings of  the  spotless  Lamb  of  God.  As  "  he 
was  made  sin"  it  was  right  that  he  should 
be  "  made  a  curse  for  us;"t  the  punish- 

•  Gal.  iv.  4. 

f  1  Cor.  v.  21,     Gal.  iii.  13. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  187 

ment  due  to  our  sins  could  justly  be  inflict- 
ed on  our  substitute,  to  whom  they  were 
all  imputed.  The  wrath  of  the  Almighty 
was  poured  out  upon  him  ;  the  fires  of  Di- 
vine justice  consumed  the  victim  that  love 
had  provided ;  the  Father  spared  not  his 
own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all. 
What  a  glorious  display  of  justice!  How 
inflexible  in  its  righteous  demands  !  It  will 
not  abate  them  in  the  smallest  degree,  even 
in  favour  of  the  Son  of  God.  He  must 
drink  the  bitter  cup  of  wrath  to  its  very 
dregs.  In  the  cross  of  our  Redeemer,  the 
universe  will  forever  see  the  brightest  ex- 
hibition of  Divine  justice. 

Equally  plain  does  our  doctrine  make  the 
display  of  the  evil  of  sin  in  the  death  of 
Christ.  Had  no  sin  been  imputed  to  him, 
he  could  not  have  been  treated  as  a  sinner. 
But  as  all  the  sins  of  his  people  were 
charged  to  his  account  and  he  made  respon- 
sible for  them,  it  was  right  that  the  penalty 
of  the  law  should  be  inflicted  on  him.  "He 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions;  he 
was  bruised  for  our  iniquities;  the  chas- 


1S8  LETTERS  ON 

tiscment  of  our  peace  was  upon  him." 
"  He  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree."  In  the  curse  denounced  against  a 
fallen  world,  in  the  sufferings,  agonies  and 
death  of  mankind,  and  in  the  torments  of 
hell,  the  dreadful  evil  of  sin  is  seen  ;  but  in 
the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ,  it  is  seen 
in  a  still  stronger  light.  When  an  angry 
God,  seizing  a  bold  transgressor,  pours  out 
his  curse  upon  his  guilty  head,  banishes  his 
soul  from  his  presence,  and  overwhelms  it 
in  the  fiery  billows  of  the  burning  lake,  he 
discovers  his  abhorrence  of  sin.  But  when, 
seizing  his  only  begotten  Son  as  the  surety 
of  guilty  man,  he  poured  out  his  curse  on 
his  head,  withdrew  from  him  the  light  of 
his  countenance,  and  overwhelmedAzm  with 
shame,  anguish  and  horror  of  mind,  he  pro- 
claimed to  the  universe,  in  tones  of  thun- 
der, his  utter  detestation  of  sin,  and  gave 
the  plainest  and  most  convincing  demon- 
stration that  he  would  not,  and  could  not, 
suffer  it  to  go  unpunished.  In  the  cross  of 
Christ,  sin  appears  to  be  that  evil  and  bit- 
ter thing,  which  God  hates  with  utter 
haired. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  1S9 

Thus,  according  to  the  old  theory,  all  ap- 
pears plain  and  intelligible.  But  when  we 
turn  our  eye  to  the  new  scheme,  we  see  ob- 
scurity and  darkness;  we  find  ourselves  sur- 
rounded with  difficulties  and  perplexities. 
Our  brethren,  I  know,  think  otherwise. 
They  imagine  that,  by  an  application  of  an 
old  distribution  of  the  justice  of  God  into 
three  kinds,  commutative,  distributive, 
and  public,  they  can  not  only  expose  the 
error  in  our  views  of  this  great  subject,  but 
remove  all  objections  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
atonement.  I  do  not  controvert  this  dis- 
tinction; but  I  shall  object  to  the  use  they 
make  of  it,  as  being  very  unhappy  and  pro- 
ductive of  real  difficulties.  In  their  hands 
it  is  a  source  of  darkness,  not  a  spring  of 
light.     For 

First,  They  set  the  justice  of  God  at 
variance  with  itself.  In  a  former  letter 
this  opposition  was  noticed  in  regard  to  be- 
lievers. Here  I  shall  consider  it  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Mediator.  In  man,  justice, 
how  diversified  soever  in  its  operations,  is 
one  and  the  same  principle.     It  presides 


190  LETTERS  ON 

over  his  whole  conduct,  and  governs  him, 
whether  he  act  as  a  private  individual,  as  a 
merchant,  or  as  a  ruler.  Equally  plain  is 
it,  that  the  justice  of  God,  however  diversi- 
fied in  its  operations  and  distinguished  by 
different  names,  on  account  of  its  modes  of 
exercise,  must  be  one  and  the  same  attri- 
bute of  his  nature.  It  is  impossible  for  any 
collision  to  arise  between  his  perfections, 
much  less  in  the  same  perfection.  Yet 
such  a  collision  is  represented  as  occurring 
between  the  demands  of  Divine  justice,  ac- 
cording to  the  fiews  of  our  brethren. 
"  Distributive  justice,"  says  the  author  of 
Dialogues  on  Atonement,  "  demands  that 
every  person  should  be  treated  according 
to  his  moral  character.  It  demands  that 
the  guilty  should  be  punished,  and  the  in- 
nocent set  free."*  Consequently,  as  Christ 
was,  in  their  opinion,  perfectly  free  from 
sin  in  every  sense,  either  imputed  or  per- 
sonal, distributive  justice  required  that  he 
should  be  saved  from  death,  the  ivages  of 

•  r.  19. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  191 

sin,  and  enjoy  life,  the  reward  of  obedi- 
ence; and  not  be  treated  as  sinners  deserve 
to  be  treated,  by  being  subjected  to  those 
very  sufferings  by  which  a  righteous  God 
punishes  them,  and  expresses  his  displea- 
sure against  their  disobedience.  But,  says 
this  same  writer,  speaking  of  Christ's  death, 
"it  was  a  satisfaction  to  public  justice,  by 
which  the  ends  of  punishment  are  answer- 
ed."* Now,  if  his  death  was  a  satisfaction 
to  public  justice,  then  public  justice  de- 
manded his  death;  demanded  that  he 
should  pay  the  wages  of  sin,  and  be  treated 
as  a  sinner,  by  being  subject  to  the  very 
sufferings  that  sinners  deserve.  Here 
then  is  a  complete  opposition,  in  the  de- 
mands of  one  and  the  same  Divine  attri- 
bute. It  demands  that  Christ- should  die; 
and  it  demands  that  he  should  not  die. 

Secondly :  They  use  this  distinction  so 
as  to  set  aside  distributive  justice,  in 
relation  to  the  atonement.  It  had  no  de- 
mand on  Christ,  they  say;  and  of  course 

*  P.  23. 


192  LETTERS  ON 

his  sufferings  were  no  satisfaction  to  its  de- 
mands. But  this  representation  is  incom- 
patible with  scriptural  testimony.  It  is 
true  distributive  justice  had  no  demands 
against  Christ  on  his  own  account;  but  on 
account  of  his  representative  character  it 
had  just  demands.  Having  undertaken  the 
redemption  of  sinners,  he  assumed  their 
place  and  responsibilities;  he  was  made  un- 
der the  law,  subject  to  its  penal  requisi- 
tions, and  bound  to  suffer  and  do  all  that 
their  salvation  required.  It  was  therefore 
right  that  he  should  be  made  a  curse  for 
them,  by  enduring  the  penalty  of  the  law; 
and  Jehovah,  by  inflicting  punishment  on 
him,  the  surety  of  his  people,  dealt  with 
him  on  the  principles  of  distributive  jus- 
tice. He  was  viewed,  not  in  the  character 
of  a  holy  man,  who  had  always  been  obe- 
dient to  the  Divine  law;  but  in  his  charac- 
ter of  Mediator  between  an  offended  So- 
vereign and  his  rebellious  creatures,  who 
had  engaged  to  pay  the  dreadful  debt  of 
penal  sufferings  which  they  had  contracted. 
Justice  therefore  demanded  his  death ;  and 


THE    A  TON  EM  LN F1  ■  193 

by  dying  he  satisfied  the  claims  of  distri- 
butive justice.  It  was,  strictly  speaking, 
distributive  justice  that  treated  Christ  as  a 
sinner,  and  exacted  from  him  the  sufferings 
necessary  to  be  endured  in  making  an 
atonement  for  sin. 

Thirdly:  On  the  plan  of  the  new  school, 

JUSTICE    HAS    NOT     BEEN    SATISFIED,    UOr 

can  there  be  any  display  of  this  attri- 
bute in  the  death  of  Christ.  They  assert 
indeed  that  public  justice  was  displayed  in 
that  ever  "memorable"  event;  and  conse- 
quently it  must  have  demanded  his  death. 
But  on  what  grounds  can  this  be  maintain- 
ed? Was  Christ  a  sinner?  No;  he  was 
holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate 
from  sinners.  Was  sin  imputed  to  him  ? 
No  ;  the)'  reply,  the  imputation  of  sin  is  an 
absurdity.  Had  the  law  any  demands  on 
him?  By  no  means;  "the  law,"  says  one 
of  the  new  school,  "  has  no  penal  demand 
against  Christ — such  a  demand  it  can  never 
establish."  "The  law,"  says  another, 
"did  not  demand  the  death  of  Christ."* 

*  Beman,  p.  34.    Dial,  on  Atonement,  p.  23. 
R 


194  LETTERS  ON 

If,  then,  on  neither  of  these  accounts  the 
Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe  had  any  de- 
mands on  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  on  what 
possible  grounds  could  justice,  public  jus- 
tice, if  you  please,  require,  that  he,  the  im- 
maculate Son  of  God,  should  undergo  that 
death  which  constitutes  the  wages  of  sin, 
and  which  law  and  justice  denounce  against 
sin,  and  against  sin  only?  To  subject  such 
a  glorious  and  Divine  personage,  free  from 
sin  both  personal  and  imputed ;  one  on 
whom  the  law  had  no  penal  demands;  one 
whose  character  merited  the  highest  ho- 
nours; to  the  greatest  ignominy,  to  unut- 
terable pain,  and  to  an  accursed  death, 
would  have  been  a  display,  not  of  public 
justice,  but  of  public  i?ijustice.  It  would 
have  dishonoured  the  government  of  the 
Most  High,  and  filled  the  universe  with 
terror. 

But  to  prove  that  on  this  scheme  no  in- 
justice was  done  to  Christ,  it  is  said:  "  His 
sufferings  were  perfectly  voluntary.  He 
took  them  upon  himself.  If  those  suffer- 
ings had  been  inflicted  upon  him,  without 


THE  ATONEMENT.  195 

His  consent,  he  would  have  been  treated 
with  great  injustice."*  But,  if  we  admit 
that  his  consent  to  suffer  would  have  done 
away  the  charge  of  injustice,  it  will  not 
follow  that  justice  had  any  demands  against 
him;  and  if  it  had  no  demands  against  him, 
there  could  be  no  display  of  justice,  in 
subjecting  him  to  a  treatment  so  opposite 
to  the  claims  of  his  moral  character.  "  But 
distributive  justice,"  says  the  same  writer, 
in  immediate  connexion  with  the  above 
quotation,  "  was  not  exercised  in  the  inflic- 
tion of  these  sufferings  upon  him."  No 
indeed ;  because,  on  the  principles  of  our 
brethren,  great  distributive  injustice  was 
done  to  him;  for  those  sufferings  were  in- 
flicted, not  in  accordance  with,  but  in  op- 
position to,  ihz  claims  of  distributive  jus- 
tice, which  demanded  a  very  different  treat- 
ment of  one  so  perfectly  holy,  and  so  free 
from  sin  in  every  sense.  Consent,  however, 
will  not  always  authorize  the  infliction  of 
evil  on  another.  A  man  might  wish  to  die, 

*  Dial,  on  Atonement,  p.  23. 


196  LETTERS  ON 

and  even  request  to  be  put  to  death;  but 
this  would  not  justify  a  magistrate  in  de- 
stroying his  life,  nor  legalize  his  murder. 

Finally :  On  the  principles  advocated 
by  our  brethren,  no  intelligible  end  is 
answered  by  the  Saviour's  death.  They 
indeed  think  otherwise;  and  one  of  them 
has  said,  "  The  atonement  was  a  scheme 
devised  by  Infinite  Wisdom,  by  which  the 
ends  of  punishment  can  be  completely  sa- 
tisfied, and  yet  the  sinner  spared."  On  our 
scheme  this  appears  to  be  perfectly  true; 
but  on  that  of  the  new  school,  it  will  be 
found  unable  to  stand  the  test  of  a  rigid 
examination.  View  the  death  of  Christ  in 
the  light  of  their  principles,  and  it  will  be 
seen  to  answer  no  one  legitimate  end  of 
punishment. 

The  principal  end  of  punishment  is  the 
satisfaction  due  to  Divine  justice  for  the 
breach  of  God's  holy  law  and  the  insult  of- 
fered to  his  infinite  majesty.  But  according 
to  the  theory  of  our  brethren  this  is  not  an- 
swered by  the  Saviour's  death ;  for  they 
deny  that  distributive  justice  had  any  thing 


THE   ATONEMENT.  197 

to  do  with  that  awful  transaction,  and  it  has 
just  been  shown  that  public  justice  could 
not  be  satisfied  by  it ;  because  it  had  no 
demands  against  him.  Vindicating  the  ho- 
nour of  the  Divine  law,  is  another  end  of 
punishment.  Admit,  as  we  do,  that  Christ 
placed  himself  under  the  penal  demands  of 
the  law,  and  suffered  the  penalty  denounc- 
ed against  disobedience,  and  we  see  clearly 
how  the  law  was  honoured  by  his  atone- 
ment; but  deny,  as  the  new  school  do,  that 
the  law  had  any  penal  demands  against  him 
and  that  he  did  suffer  its  penalty,  and  surely 
it  will  be  absurd  to  say  that  the  law  in  its 
penal  demands  was  honoured  by  sufferings 
which  they  did  not  require,  and  which  of 
consequence  afforded  them  no  satisfaction. 
A  display  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  of  the  ha- 
tred which  a  holy  God  bears  to  it,  is  ano- 
ther end  of  punishment.  If  Jesus  Christ 
was  charged  with  the  sins  of  his  people  and 
really  bore  the  punishment  which  they  de- 
served, then  the  infinite  evil  of  sin  and  the 
Divine  hatred  against  it  appear  in  a  strong, 
convincing  and  glaring  light,  in  those 
r2 


198  LETTERS  ON* 

dreadful  sufferings  which  Jehovah  required 
of  his  own  and  well  beloved  Son,  in  making 
an  atonement ;  and  without  which  he  would 
not,  and  could   not,  forgive   his  offending 
creatures.     But   if  Jesus   Christ   was   not 
only  perfectly  holy  in  himself,  but,  as  our 
brethren  affirm,  not  at  all  charged  with  the 
sins  of  men,  and  not  at  all  responsible  for 
them,  we  cannot  see  how  the  evil  of  sin 
and  the  Divine  hatred  of  it,  appear  in  suffer- 
ings which  were  not  designed  as  a  punish- 
ment of  sin.    Finally  :  another  end  of  pun- 
ishment is  to   warn  the  creatures  of  God 
against  the  evil  of  disobedience.     Such  a 
warning    was    indeed,   on   our    principles, 
given  to  the  universe  in  the  shameful  death 
of  Immanuel  :  but,  if,  according  to  the  new 
doctrine,  Jehovah  seized  this  glorious  per- 
son, and  put  him  to  a  death  which  his  vio- 
lated law  did  not  demand  and  which  could 
be  no  satisfaction  to  its  penalty ;  if  he  sub- 
jected him  to  the  most  dreadful  sufferings, 
neither  on  account  of  any  personal  sin,  nor 
on  account  of  any  imputed  sin,  it  is  not 
conceivable  how   such  a  procedure  could 


THE  ATONEMENT.  199 

convey  to  rational  creatures  a  warning 
against  the  danger  of  disobedience.  It  was 
rather  calculated  to  alarm  the  obedient  for 
their  safety,  and  shake  their  confidence  that 
they  should  continue  to  enjoy  happiness,  so 
long  as  they  persevered  in  their  allegiance 
and  duty  to  their  almighty  sovereign. 

Thus  it  appears,  on  the  principles  of  the 
new  school,  that  no  end  of  punishment  is 
answered  by  the  death  of  Christ.  It  seems 
to  be  an  unintelligible  transaction.  We  do 
not  see  how  our  brethren  can  avoid,  in  their 
march  of  fancied  improvement,  coming  to 
the  conclusion  to  which  the  new  discoveries 
of  Dr.  Murdock  has  led  him  ;  that  the  death 
of  Christ  is  a  mere  symbol,  or  arbitrary  ap- 
pointment of  heaven,  to  signify  the  divine 
mind  in  relation  to  a  certain  thing. 

Affectionately  yours. 


200  LETTERS  ON 


LETTER  X. 

The  Love  of  God. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

The  theories  of  the  two  schools  in  rela- 
tion to  Divine  love,  will  be  examined  in 
this  letter.  I  shall  endeavour  to  prove  that 
the  doctrine  of  the  Old  School  puts  a  high- 
er honour  on  the  love  of  God  mani- 
fested in  the  gift  of  his  only  Son,  as  our 
atoning  sacrifice,  than  that  of  the  New. 

In  holy  scripture  this  love  is  celebrated 
as  the  highest  and  most  glorious  display  of 
love  that  was  ever  made.  Accordingly, 
we  contemplate  it  as  that  special  love, 
which  Jehovah  was  pleased  to  entertain  for 
all  whom  he  designed  to  bring  to  the  en- 
joyment of  everlasting  happiness.  We  be- 
lieve that,  for  the  consistent  and  honourable 
exercise  of  this  amazing  and  eternal  love, 
and  that  it  might  flow  out  to  them  in  its 
rich  and  exuberant  blessings,  he  sent  his 


THE  ATONEMENT.  201 

own  Son  to  be  a  propitiation  for  their  sins. 
"Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God, 
but  that  God  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to 
be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins."  1  John, 
iv.  10.  We  believe  that,  if  Jehovah  had 
not  conceived  this  love  for  his  chosen, 
which  prompted  him  to  effect  their  salva- 
tion, he  certainly  would  not  have  exposed 
his  co-equal  Son  to  shame  and  suffering, 
nor  permitted  his  precious  blood  to  be  shed 
by  impious  men. 

But  as  the  New  School  believe  that  the 
death  of  Christ  merely  opened  the  door  of 
mercy  for  all  men,  they  can  attribute  the 
atonement  to  no  higher  source  than  the 
general  benevolence  and  good  will  of  God. 
"  It  is,"  says  the  writer  of  Dialogues  on 
Atonement,  "  the  love  of  benevolence  or 
good  will.  This  has  for  its  object  all  crea- 
tures capable  of  enjoyment  or  suffering;  and 
regards  the  happiness  of  each  one  according 
to  its  real  worth.  Now  the  happiness  of 
an  individual  is  not,  in  itself,  any  more  va- 
luable, if  he  is  elected,  than  if  he  is  not 
elected.     But  God  regards  things  according 


202  LETTERS  ON 

to  their  real  worth.  His  regard  for  the 
happiness  of  the  non-elect 9  therefore,  is  the 
same  as  for  that  of  the  elect."  "  When  this 
kind  of  love  is  exercised  towards  the  guilty 
it  is  called  compassion." — "Finally,  it  is  this 
compassion  for  sinners,  which  is  expressed 
by  the  Father  in  giving  his  Son  to  die  ; 
and  by  the  Son,  in  laying  down  his  life. 
And  this  is  the  plain  import  of  the  text  be- 
fore mentioned,  "  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  sent  his  only  begotten  Son."  Again : 
"  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  God  felt  no 
special  love  for  the  elect,  no  love  of  a  dif- 
ferent kind,  from  that  which  he  felt  for 
the  non-elect.  He  loved  one  as  much  as  he 
did  the  other :  and  in  the  exercise  of  that 
love  for  all  he  gave  his  Son  to  die  for 
all."  Now  here  it  is  asserted  that  Jehovah 
loved  the  non-elect,  as  much  as  he  loved 
the  elect;  and  that  the  compassion  which 
he  feels  for  the  guilty  of  every  description, 
is  the  spring  of  that  astonishing  gift  which 
fills  heaven  and  earth  with  holy  wonder 
and  delight;  and,  consequently,  it  follows 
that  the  compassion  which  the  Divine  bosom 


THE   ATONEMENT.  203 

feels  for  the  wretch  on  whom  sentence  of 
eternal  perdition  is  pronounced,  or  the  com- 
passion felt  for  the  damned,  who  are  "  crea- 
tures capable  of  suffering,"  gave  birth  to 
that  stupendous  gift,  which  we  are  constant- 
ly taught  by  inspired  writers  to  regard  as  a 
demonstration  of  God's  ineffable  love  to  his 
church. 

These  are  new  views  for  men  professing 
to  belong  to  the  Calvinistic  school.  They 
may  be  found  in  the  writings  of  Arminians ; 
but  it  is  only  of  recent  date,  that  they  have 
been  transferred  to  the  pages  of  the  advo- 
cates of  the  doctrines  of  particular  election 
and  limited  salvation.  Let  us  see  whether 
they  will  bear  the  test  of  examination. 

Israel  was  a  type  of  God's  chosen  peo- 
ple; and  if  this  representation  be  correct, 
then  the  descendants  of  Abraham,  consider- 
ed as  an  elect  people,  were  not  distinguish- 
ed from  other  nations  by  any  peculiar  af- 
fection of  the  Most  High  toward  them. 
Such,  however,  were  not  the  views  of 
their  inspired  lawgiver,  who  celebrates  the 
special  love  of  God  to  them  as  his  elect 


204  LETTERS  ON 

people :  "  The  Lord  thy  God  hath  chosen 
thee  to  be  a  special  people  unto  himself, 
above  all  the  people  that  are  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth.  The  Lord  did  not  set  his 
love  upon  you,  nor  choose  you,  because  ye 
were  more  in  number  than  any  people ;  for 
ye  were  the  fewest  of  all  people :  but  because 
the  Lord  loved  you."  Deut.  vii.  6 — 8.  "  Be- 
hold, the  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  hea- 
vensy  is  the  Lord's,  thy  God ;  the  earth 
also,  with  all  that  therein  is.  Only  the 
Lord  had  a  delight  in  thy  fathers  to  love 
them,  and  he  chose  their  seed  after  them, 
even  you,  above  all  people,  as  it  is  this  day." 
Deut.  x.  14,  15.  By  these  texts  we  are 
plainly  taught  that  the  children  of  Israel 
were  the  objects  of  Jehovah's  special  love ; 
that  this  love  was  not  founded  on  any  good 
qualifications  which  they  possessed,  but 
originated  in  his  sovereign  pleasure ;  and 
that  the  love  which  God  bare  to  them  he 
did  not  bear  to  nations  whom  he  had  not 
chosen.  Equally  adverse  to  the  represen- 
tation of  this  writer,  is  the  testimony  of 
Paul,  who  expressly  teaches  us,  that  Jacob, 
as   an    elected  person,    was  distinguished 


THE   ATONEMENT.  205 

by  a  love  which  was  denied  to  his  bro- 
ther Esau.  "  For  the  children  being  jiot 
yet  born,  neither  having  done  any  good  or 
evil,  that  the  purpose  of  God,  according  to 
election  might  stand,  not  of  works,  but  of 
him  that  calleth;  it  was  said,  The  elder 
shall  serve  the  younger.  As  it  is  written, 
Jacob  have  I  loved,  but  Esau  have  I 
hated."  Whatever  explanation  may  be 
given  of  the  election  which  the  apostle  here 
speaks  of,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  he  ex- 
hibits Jacob  as  an  elect  person,  and  Esau 
as  a  non-elect  person;  that  he  represents 
Jacob  as  distinguished  by  a  love  which  was 
not  extended  to  Esau;  and  that  this  love 
was  not  grounded  on  the  superior  worth  of 
the  younger  brother,  but  issued  from  the 
sovereign  purpose  of  an  infinitely  wise 
God — Here  we  have  an  exact  type  of  the 
love  which  the  Almighty  bears  to  his  spiri- 
tual church.  She  was,  in  the  exercise  of  his 
sovereign  pleasure,  chosen  out  of  the  com- 
mon mass  of  guilt  and  pollution.  She  was 
distinguished  from  the  rest  of  mankind  by 
a  special  love,  not  on  account  of  the  good 


206  LETTERS  ON 

qualifications,  or  personal  righteousness  of 
her  members,  but  because  the  Lord  had  a 
delight  to  love  her ;  and  from  this  love 
flowed  the  astonishing  gift  of  the  Son  of 
God  to  be  our  Redeemer.  In  accordance 
with  this  representation,  the  apostle  speaks 
of  the  love  of  Christ  to  his  church  :  "  Hus- 
bands love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ  also 
loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  for  it, 
that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it 
with  the  washing  of  water  by  the  word, 
that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glori- 
ous church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or 
any  such  thing;  but  that  it  should  be  holy 
and  without  blemish."  The  love  which  a 
man  bears  to  his  wife  is  unquestionably 
peculiar;  such  a  love  as  he  may  not  indulge 
to  any  other  woman.  Still  more  peculiar 
is  that  love  which  the  Saviour  entertains 
for  his  church ;  a  love  which  he  does  not 
bear  to  others.  Now,  to  this  special  won- 
derful love,  the  apostle  traces  up  the  gift 
which  Christ  made  of  himself,  and  all  the 
blessings  of  pardon,  justification,  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  glorification,  which  were  purchas- 
ed by  his  precious  blood. 


THE  ATONEMEN  I  •  207 

In  proof  that  the  death  or  atonement  of 
Christ  took  its  rise  from  the  general  bene- 
volence of  God,  that  common  love  in  which 
the  reprobate  share  equally  with  the  elect, 
an  appeal  is  made  to  the  declaration  of  our 
Lord  to  Nicodemus:  "God  so  loved  the 
ivorld,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  John, 
iii.  16.  For  a  moment  let  us  grant — that 
the  term  ivorld,  in  this  text,  means  all  man- 
kind, and  mark  the  consequences.  What 
is  the  proof  of  God's  love  to  the  world? 
The  gift  of  his  only  begotten  Son.  For 
what  purpose  was  he  given  ?  "  That  who- 
soever believeth  in  him  should  not  perish 
but  have  everlasting  life."  It  was  his 
fixed  and  unalterable  purpose,  that  all  be- 
lievers should  be  saved.  Now,  if  in  this 
verse  the  term  world  means  all  mankind, 
it  must,  in  the  next  verse,  be  equally  ex- 
tensive in  its  signification  ;  and  then  it  will 
follow,  that  it  was  the  fixed  and  unalterable 
purpose  of  God  in  sending  his  Son  into  the 
world,  that  all  mankind  should  be  saved ; 


20S  LETTERS  ON 

for  the  form  of  the  expressions,  you  will 
observe,  in  the  two  verses,  especially  in  the 
original,  denoting  "the  Divine  intention, 
is  the  same  ;  "that  the  world  might  be 
saved."  Here  is  universal  salvation  !  But 
from  such  a  conclusion  our  brethren  turn 
away,  because  they  know  it  to  be  unscrip- 
tural.  The  conclusion,  however,  must  fol- 
low, unless  we  qualify  the  expressions  in 
the  last  verse,  and  show,  that  the  term 
world  cannot  there  mean  all  mankind,  but 
only  such  of  them  as  shall  believe.  In  the 
context,  then,  we  find  a  reason  for  limiting 
a  word,  which  very  rarely  in  scripture 
signifies  all  and  every  man.  This  term 
was  wisely  selected  by  our  Saviour,  in  pre- 
ference to  the  term  elect.  1.  Because  the 
elect,  until  called  and  converted,  form  a 
part  of  the  world  that  lies  in  wickedness. 
2.  Because  the  Redeemer  intended  to  cor- 
rect the  prejudices  of  Nicodemus,  and  en- 
large his  views  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  With 
the  rest  of  his  countrymen,  he  supposed 
they  were  to  be  confined  to  his  own  nation. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  209 

But  our  Saviour  teaches  him  that  they  were 
to  be  far  more  extensive  in  their  distribu- 
tion,  by  informing  him    that   the  love  of 
God,  which  sent  his  Son  to  save  sinners, 
embraced    the    Gentiles,   as   well    as   the 
Jews.     It  was  confined  not  to  one  nation, 
but  extended  to  all  nations.     It  was  a  love 
which  he  bore  to  the  world  at  large,  because 
every  where  the  objects  of  it  were  to  be 
found,   mingled   with   every    tongue,    and 
people,  and  nation.     John  has  himself  ex- 
plained the  import  of  the  text,  in  chap.  xi. 
51,52.     "And   this  spake  he,  not  of  him- 
self:  but  being  high-priest  that  year,  he 
prophesied   that  Jesus  should  die  for  that 
nation;   and   not  for  that  nation  only,   but 
that  also  he  should  gather   together  in  one 
the  children  of  God,  that  were  scattered 
abroad" 

If  God  love  all  mankind  alike,  and  Jesus 
died  alike  for  all,  why  does  he  not  inter- 
cede for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind?  That 
he  does  not  intercede  for  the  salvation  of 
all,  he  himself  has  assured  us:  "I  pray  not 
for  the  world,  but  for  them  which  thou 


S  2 


210  LETTERS  ON 

hast  given  me."  Now,  can  it  be  doubted 
that  he  loves  those  of  our  fallen  race  for 
whom  he  intercedes,  more  than  those  for 
whom  he  does  not  intercede?  Indeed,  the 
special  love  of  God  to  his  elect,  will  clearly 
follow  from  an  admission  of  our  brethren, 
to  which  I  have  more  than  once  adverted. 
"  Christ,  say  they,  did  not  die  with  an  in- 
tention of  saving  any  but  the  elect.  The 
Father  did  not  deliver  up  his  Son  to  death 
with  an  intention  of  saving  any  other  of  the 
human  family.''  The  most,  then,  that  can 
be  said,  in  conformity  with  their  views,  is, 
that  Christ  designed  by  his  death  to  make 
it  consistent  to  offer  salvation  to  the  non- 
elect,  and  place  them  under  a  dispensation 
of  mercy.  Here,  then,  is  a  vast  difference 
made  between  these  two  classes  of  our  fallen 
race.  For  the  one  Christ  dies  with  an  in- 
tention to  save  them;  for  the  other,  he 
dies  with  no  such  intention.  The  one, 
Jehovah  chooses  to  salvation  in  Christ;  the 
other,  he  does  not  thus  choose.  To  the 
one,  he  not  only  offers  salvation  in  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  but,  by  working 


THE   ATONEMENT.  21  1 

faith  in  their  hearts,  and  thus  uniting  them 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  actually  puts 
them  in  possession  of  its  rich  and  invaluable 
blessings.  To  the  other,  the  offer  of  salva- 
tion is  sincerely  made,  and  they  are  inex- 
cusable in  rejecting  it;  but  God  does  not 
impart  to  them  the  saving  grace  of  his  Holy 
Spirit. 

And  is  it  reasonable  to  conclude,  that  Je- 
hovah feels  for  those  two  classes  of  men, 
whom  he  treats  so  differently,  the  same 
kind  and  the  same  degree  of  love? 

Was  it  not  easily  seen,  from  the  peculiar 
endearments  which  Jacob  showed  to  his 
son  Joseph,  that  he  loved  him  more  than 
his  brethren  ?  And  is  it  not  manifest  that 
Jehovah  loves  those  on  whom  he  bestows 
peculiar  and  distinguishing  blessings,  more 
than  he  loves  those  on  whom  he  does  not 
bestow  them  ?  When  the  Jews  saw  Jesus 
weeping  at  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  they  justly 
remarked,  "Behold  how  he  loved  him!" 
They  judged  of  the  strength  of  his  love 
irom  its  effects:  and  doubtless  we  are  au- 
thorized to  judge  of  the  love  of  God,  by 


212  LETTERS  ON 

the  same  criterion.  When  the  God  of  Is- 
rael sets  forth  his  peculiar  love  to  his  an- 
cient people,  he  enumerates  some  of  the 
distinguishing  blessings  bestowed  on  them: 
and  if  the  enjoyment  of  superior  external 
blessings  was  a  proof  of  distinguishing  re- 
gard for  the  people  thus  favoured,  then 
surely  the  enjoyment  of  superior  spiritual 
blessings,  must  be  a  proof  of  distinguishing 
love  toward  that  portion  of  our  race  whom 
Jehovah  delights  thus  to  favour.  "  Be- 
hold," exclaims  the  apostle  in  view  of  these 
distinguishing  blessings,  "  behold  what 
manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
on  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of 
God!"  And  again:  "Herein  is  love,  not 
that  we  loved  God,  but  that  God  loved  us, 
and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins." 

To  this  special,  this  distingiiishing\o\e, 
we  attribute  the  gift  of  Jesus  Christ;  and 
not,  as  our  brethren,  to  that  common  love, 
that  general  compassion,  which,  as  they  say, 
will  be  felt  even  for  the  damned,  when  the 
sentence  of  everlasting  perdition  shall  be 


THE  ATONEMENT.  213 

pronounced  on  them.  This  general  com- 
passion differs  widely  from  that  astonishing 
love  which  inspired  writers  celebrate  in  such 
lofty  notes  of  praise ; — that  wonderful  love 
which  constitutes  the  theme  of  that  ever- 
lasting song  which  will  be  sung  by  saints 
and  angels  in  heaven,  through  endless  ages. 
With  inspired  writers,  and  in  unison  with 
the  sentiments  of  saints  around  the  throne 
in  glory,  we  magnify  this  love,  and  set  it 
above  all  displays  of  general  benevolence, 
that  were  ever  made  in  creation  or  in  pro- 
vidence. It  has  dimensions,  a  breadth  and 
length  and  depth  and  height,  which  no 
created  intellect  will  ever  be  able  fully  to 
comprehend.  "  Unto  to  him  that  loved  us, 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests 
unto  God  and  his  father;  to  him  be  glory 
and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever."     Amen. 

Yours,  sincerely. 


-H  LETTERS.  ON 


LETTER  XI. 

On  the  Law. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  must  draw  my 
epistles  to  a  close.  The  importance  of  the 
subject  discussed,  has  induced  me  to  spend 
so  much  time  in  the  investigation.  They 
are  now  in  a  course  of  publication ;  and  if 
the  great  Head  of  the  church  shall  conde- 
scend to  honour  them  as  a  means  for  recti- 
fying the  error  of  any  reader,  or  for  esta- 
blishing the  minds  of  the  wavering  in  the 
doctrine  that  has  hitherto  prevailed  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  I  shall  deem  myself 
well  rewarded  for  the  time  and  labour  be- 
stowed on  them. 

It  only  remains  to  contrast  the  two 
theories  in  relation  to  the  honour  they 
reflect  on  the  divine  lata,  and  on  our 
blessed  Redeemer. 

Both  schools  concur  in  pronouncing  on 


THE    ATONEMEN  1.  215 

the  Law  of  God  the  highest  encomiums; 
believing  it  to  be  a  transcript  of  his  moral 
perfections,  and  worthy  of  the  profoundest 
obedience  of  every  rational  creature.  They 
agree  in  the  sentiment,  that  the  penalty 
which  guards  the  sanctity  of  the  law,  in- 
volves a  degree  of  misery  far  greater  than 
is  felt  by  any  human  being  on  this  side  the 
grave,  and  that  it  will  run  parallel  with  the 
eternal  existence  of  the  damned;  and  they 
strenuously  maintain,  that  the  infliction  of 
this  fearful  penalty  on  every  impenitent 
and  unbelieving  sinner,  is  a  righteous  pro- 
cedure on  the  part  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of 
the  universe.  But  they  differ  widely  in 
their  views  of  the  bearing  of  the  Mediator's 
work  on  the  law. 

You  know,  sir,  that,  in  the  contrast  I  am 
drawing,  I  do  not  refer  to  our  brethren, 
who,  while  they  believe  in  a  general  atone- 
ment, hold  to  its  true  nature  as  involving 
a  real  satisfaction  to  Divine  justice,  and  a 
real  infliction  of  the  threatened  penalty 
on  the  sinner's  glorious  and  spotless  substi- 
tute.    In  mv  second   letter  it  was  shown, 


216  LETTERS  ON 

that  between  them  and  the  advocates  of  a 
definite  atonement,  the  difference  is  merely 
verbal,  and  that  they  have  no  ground  for 
controversy  with  each  other.  This  I  wish 
to  be  kept  in  mind. 

The  new  school  believe  the  perfect  obe- 
dience which  Christ  yielded  to  the  precepts 
of  the  Divine  law  to  have  been  necessary 
to  his  work  as  Saviour,  and  that  the  least 
defect  in  it  would  have  defeated  his  bene- 
volent design  of  saving  sinners.  But  this 
belief  is  grounded^  not  on  the  necessity  of 
the  saved  having  a  finished  righteousness 
as  the  basis  of  their  justification,  but  on  the 
necessity  of  perfect  holiness  in  the  person 
of  the  Redeemer.  Accordingly  they  deny 
that  Christ,  as  the  legal  representative  of 
his  people,  obeyed  all  the  precepts  of  the 
law  for  them,  that  his  righteousness, 
when  received  by  faith,  might  be  imputed 
to  them,  and  render  them  righteous  before 
God.  They  speak  indeed  of  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  as  being  a  substitute  for  our  suf- 
ferings; but  at  the  same  time  deny  that  he 
was  our  substitute,  standing  in  our  law 


THE  ATONEMENT.  217 

place,  bearing  our  sins  and  enduring  the 
penalty  due  to  them.  The  sufferings  of  the 
Saviour  were  a  consequence  of  sin;  but  they 
were  not  an  infliction  of  the  curse  of  the 
law :  because,  say  they,  the  law  had  no  de- 
mands on  him.  The  result  is,  that  accord- 
ing to  the  new  theory,  sinners  are  saved 
without  a  righteousness,  and  without  a 
satisfaction  for  sin :  and  the  death  of 
Christ  is  made  a  mere  expedient  for  set- 
ting aside  both  the  preceptive  and  the 
penal  demands  of  the  law  upon  them. 
Neither  the  one  nor  the  other  has  been 
complied  with  by  them,  or  for  them,  by  a 
surety.  In  opposition  to  the  righteous  de- 
mands of  a  holy  law,  they  appear  in  heaven 
in  the  presence  of  the  great  Lawgiver,  who 
has  pledged  his  truth  that  sin  shall  not  go 
unpunished,  and  proclaimed  it  as  part  of 
his  name  or  nature,  that  he  will  by  no 
means  clear  the  guilty. 

Such  views  are  deemed  by  the  old  school 
to  be  highly  unscriptural,  and  really  dan- 
gerous in  their  tendency,  a"nd  in  fact  sub- 
versive of  the  true  nature  of  the  atone- 
t 


218  LETTERS  ON 

ment.  They  are  unable  to  see  how  the 
law  could  be  magnified  and  made  honour- 
able, by  a  transaction  and  scene  of  suffer- 
ing- which  it  did  not  require,  and  whieh 
in  fact  were  intended  to  prevent  the  fulfil- 
ment of  its  just  and  good  demands. 

Very  different  are  their  views  of  the  re- 
lation which  the  obedience  and  death  of 
Immanuel  bore  to  the  law  of  God.  In 
them  they  behold  a  complete  fulfilment  of 
all  its  demands  on  sinners,  both  preceptive 
and  penal.  Taught  by  an  inspired  apostle 
that  "  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a 
woman,  made  under  the  law,  to  redeem 
them  that  were  under  the  law,"  (Gal.  iv. 
4,  5,)  they  believe  that  the  law  had  de- 
mands on  Christ;  and  that  by  his  holy  life 
and  bitter  death  he  fulfilled  them  all,  as  the 
substitute  and  legal  representative  of 
every  true  believer.  Assured  too  by  the 
same  apostle  that  "  God  imputeth  righ- 
teousness without  words;"  (Rom.  iv.  6.) 
"  Even  the  righteousness  of  God,  which  is 
by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  unto  all  and  upon 
all  them  that  believe:"  (Rom.  iii.  21,  22.) 


THE  ATONEMENT.  219 

they  hold  that  the  obedience  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  even  unto  death,  constitutes 
that  righteousness  by  which  sinners  are 
justified;  and  that  it  is  imputed  for  this  pur- 
pose to  every  one  who  believes  in  Jesus. 
Thus  sinners  are  saved  in  a  way  perfectly 
consistent  with  the  honour  of  the  Divine 
law;  none  of  its  demands  are  sacrificed; 
all  are  fully  satisfied,  not  indeed  by  fallen 
man,  but  by  his  immaculate  Redeemer;  sin 
is  pardoned,  and  yet  punished.  The  saved 
appear  in  heaven  before  God  in  a  complete 
righteousness ;  not  a  personal  one,  not 
through  their  "  own  righteousness,  which 
is  of  the  law;"  but  in  that  perfectly  finished 
and  glorious  righteousness,  in  which  the 
great  apostle  desired  to  be  found,  even 
"that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ, 
the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith." 
Phil.  iii.  9. 

Such  a  transaction  is  glorious  to  the  law. 
By  the  obedience  of  Immanuel  unto  death, 
its  precepts  and  its  penalty  have  been  de- 
clared to  be  just  and  reasonable  and  good. 
More  honour  has  been  done  to  the  one  than 


220  LETTERS  ON 

would  hare  been  rendered,  if  all  mankind 
had  persevered  in  sinless  obedience ;  and 
higher  honour  put  on  the  other,  than  if  it 
had  been  inflicted  on  our  whole  race. 

Let  it  not  be  objected,  that  the  character 
of  a  substitute  and  representative  is  un- 
known to  the  law.  Not  so.  The  princi- 
ple of  representation  was  connected  with  it 
in  its  first  operation  on  man;  for,  in  the  first 
covenant,  Adam  was  constituted  the  fede- 
ral head  and  representative  of  all  his  na- 
tural posterity :  and  if  the  world  was  ruined 
under  such  a  dispensation  without  any  re- 
flection on  the  justice  or  goodness  of  the 
Almighty  Creator,  how  can  it  be  deemed 
inconsistent  with  these  attributes  of  his  na- 
ture, to  establish  a  new  and  similar  dispen- 
sation, for  its  recovery  to  holiness  and  hap- 
piness? That  there  is  a  striking  analogy 
between  the  way  in  which  we  were  ruined 
and  the  way  in  which  we  are  recovered,  is 
plainly  taught  in  holy  scripture.  Having 
run  a  parallel  between  Christ  and  Adam, 
whom  he  styles  "  the  figure  of  him  that 
was  to  come"  and  the  corresponding  ef- 


1HE   ATONEMENT.  221 

iects  of  the  offence  of  the  latter,  and  of  the 
righteousness  of  the  former,  the  apostle 
adds:  "  For  as  by  one  man's  disobedience 
many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obe- 
dience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righ- 
teous." Rom.  v.  14 — 19.  And,  in  1  Cor. 
xv.  22,  he  asserts  the  same  analogy;  "  for 
as  in  Adam  all  die,  so  in  Christ  shall  all 
be  made  alive  :"  meaning,  not  as  the  Uni- 
versalists  teach,  that  all  men  will  be  ulti- 
mately saved  by  Christ,  but  that  all  who 
are  in  Christ,  united  to  him  by  faith,  and 
represented  by  him  in  his  mediatorial  work, 
shall  be  raised  from  the  dead  to  the  enjoy- 
ment of  an  immortal  life  of  happiness  and 
glory;  just  as  all  united  to  Adam  by  natu- 
ral generation,  and  by  the  relation  esta- 
blished by  the  original  covenant  or  consti- 
tution made  with  him  as  their  representa- 
tive, have  become  subject  to  death  in  all 
its  terrible  forms. 

From  this  comparison,  it  is  easy  to  see 
which  of  the  two  theories  reflects  the  high- 
est honour  on  the  Divine  law.     The  one 
maintains  its  righteous  demands  in  all  their 
T  2 


222  LETTERS  ON 

extent,  and  exhibits  them  as  gloriously  ful- 
filled in  the  life  and  death  of  the  Son  of 
God  for  all  his  people;  while  the  other 
prostrates  them,  and  with  them,  the  truth 
of  God,  in  the  dust. 

When  I  began  this  letter,  I  intended  to 
finish  the  contrast;  but  as  the  remaining 
point  is  important,  I  think  it  best  to  re* 
serve  it  as  the  subject  of  another  letter. 

Sincerely,  yours. 


THE   ATONEMENT.  223 

LETTER  XII. 

The  Redeemer's  Glory. 

My  Dear  Brother, 

This  will  be  the  last  letter  on  the  impor- 
tant subject  that  has  so  long  occupied  our 
attention.  It  remains  only  to  show,  that 
as  the  views  of  the  old  school  reflect  high- 
er honour  on  the  perfections  and  law  of 
God,  than  those  of  the  new,  so  they  pre- 
sent a  nobler  and  more  scriptural  tribute  of 
praise  to  the  great  Redeemer. 

The  atonement,  says  Mr.  Beman,  merely 
opened  the  door  of  mercy  to  fallen  man. 
The  writer  of  Dialogues,  while  he  admits 
that  Christ  died  with  an  intention  to  save 
the  elect  and  not  others,  and  that  he  satis- 
tied  public  justice,  denies  that  he  made  any 
satisfaction  to  distributive  justice,  and  af- 
firms that  the  gift  of  Christ  resulted  from 
no  special  love  of  Jehovah  to  his  chosen, 
but  from  that  general  benevolence  in  which 


224  LETTERS  Oft 

all  share,  and  that  common  compassion 
which  is  not  denied  even  to  the  damned. 
Others  represent  the  atonement  as  consist- 
ing in  an  exhibition  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and 
in  a  declaration  of  God's  hatred  of  it  and 
its  desert  of  punishment ;  and  affirm  that,  if 
not  one  soul  were  saved,  the  proper  end  of 
the  death  of  Christ  would  be  answered,  and 
its  full  effect  produced. 

With  these  views  of  our  brethren  we 
cannot  accord.  They  are  either  erroneous 
or  defective.  They  detract  from  the  ho- 
nour due  to  the  atonement  of  our  blessed 
Lord ;  they  remove  it  from  that  central  and 
all  important  point  in  the  scheme  of  salva- 
tion, which  inspired  writers  have  assigned 
to  it;  and  they  detract  from  it  the  glory  of 
effects  which  it  really  produces.  That  it 
opened  the  door  of  hope  and  mercy  to  this 
wretched  world  is  certain  ;  but  we  regard 
it  also  as  the  meritorious  cause  of  our  sal- 
vation. While  we  admit  a  display  of  the 
evil  of  sin,  of  its  desert  of  punishment,  and 
of  God's  hatred  of  it,  and  of  his  justice,  to 
be  the  result  of  the  atonement  ;  we  main- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  225 

tain  its  true  nature  to  consist  in  making 
satisfaction  for  sin.  The  idea  that  the 
end  of  the  atonement  would  have  been  an- 
swered, although  none  of  our  fallen  race 
had  been  saved,  we  reject  as  entirely  deroga- 
tory to  the  wisdom  of  God  and  the  merits 
of  his  Son;  contending  that,  as  an  atone- 
ment carries  in  its  nature  the  notion  of  a 
satisfaction,  the  salvation  of  all  who  were 
given  to  the  Redeemer  must  certainly  fol- 
low in  the  manner  and  time  agreed  upon 
in  the  eternal  counsels  of  the  Holy  Trinity; 
and  that  to  have  left  their  salvation  uncer- 
tain as  it  would  have  reflected  on  Infinite 
Wisdom,  so  it  would  have  been  inconsis- 
tent with  the  infinite  value  of  the  price 
paid  for  their  redemption.  We  make  the 
atonement  of  Jesus  Christ  the  procuring 
cause  of  every  blessing  bestowed  on  the 
church,  both  in  this  and  the  next  world. 

In  my  third  letter  (pp.  64—67)  it  was 
shown,  that  the  inspired  writers  represent 
every  blessing  of  salvation  as  the  fruit  of 
Christ's  death  :  Such  as  forgiveness,  re- 
conciliation, justification,  peace,  adoption, 


226  LETTERS  ON 

sanctification,  and  the  heavenly  inheritance. 
Now,  it  is  plain  such  a  representation  could 
not  be  properly  made  if  the  death  of  Christ 
merely  opened  the  door  of  hope  and  mercy. 
These  blessings  ought,  in  that  case,  to  be 
denominated  the  fruit  of  Divine  grace 
only,  and  not  of  the  atonement ;  but  as  the 
atonement  did  really  merit  them  for  sin- 
ners, they  are  justly  represented  as  the  fruit 
at  once  of  the  death  of  Christ,  and  of  Divine 
grace;  because  they  really  are  so  :  and  grace 
is  justly  celebrated  as  reigning  "  through 
righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord."    Rom.  v.  21. 

An  inspection  of  the  texts  cited  in  the 
letter  just  referred  to,  must  convince  any 
reflecting  mind,  that  there  is  a  real  establish- 
ed connexion  between  the  death  of  the  Re- 
deemer, and  all  the  blessings  of  salvation. 
But  what,  it  will  be  asked,  is  that  connex- 
ion? In  reply  to  this  question,  it  may,  I 
think,  be  truly  affirmed,  that  it  is  the  con- 
nexion which  exists  between  cause  and 
effect,  between  a  price  and  a  purchase,  be- 
tween a  service  rendered  and  a  stipulated 
reward. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  227 

Let  not  the  investigation  of  this  ques- 
tion be  regarded  as  a  mere  matter  of  cu- 
rious speculation.  If  the  scriptures  speak 
on  it  we  are  bound  to  hear  and  learn  ; 
and  it  would  ill  become  us  to  turn  away 
our  ears  from  the  voice  of  heavenly  wis- 
dom, contenting  ourselves  with  believing 
that  some  general  undefined  connexion 
subsists,  between  our  salvation  and  the 
death  of  Christ.  Will  any  say  that  this 
point  belongs  merely  to  the  philosophy  of 
Christianity  ?  I  would  admonish  them  not 
to  disparage  by  such  a  name,  a  truth 
which  Infinite  Wisdom  has  seen  fit  to 
teach  the  church.  It  is  precisely  one  of 
those  particulars,  in  which  the  knowledge 
of  Christians  transcends  that  of  ancient 
saints;  one  that  involves  the  glory  of  the 
Redeemer  and  the  comfort  of  his  people. 
We  proceed  therefore  to  inquire  what  the 
New  Testament  teaches  on  this  question. 

1.  It  teaches  that  the  connexion  between 
the  death  of  Christ  and  our  salvation  is 
that  of  cause  and  effect.  If  it  were  not  of 
this  nature,  with  what  propriety  could  the 


22S  LETTERS  ON 

inspired  writers  attribute  the  cleansing  of 
the  soul  from  its  moral  pollutions  to  his 
blood?  That  they  do  so  is  incontrovertibly 
plain  :  "  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  hath 
ivashed  us  from  our  si?is  in  his  own 
blood"  But  this,  it  will  be  said,  is  figura- 
tive language.  Admitted:  it  has,  however, 
a  real  meaning  ;  and  what  can  the  mean- 
ing be,  except  this :  that,  as  the  body  is 
cleansed  from  its  pollution  by  the  applica- 
tion of  water,  so  the  soul  is  really  cleansed 
from  the  pollution  and  guilt  of  sin,  by  the 
application  of  the  Saviour's  blood  to  it  by 
faith.  Accordingly  we  hear  the  apostle 
(1  John  i.  7,)  say,  in  plain  language,  "  The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us 
from  all  sin  :"  teaching  us  that  his  precious 
blood  operates,  as  a  cause,  in  purifying  the 
soul  from  moral  defilement,  as  really  as 
water  does  in  purifying  the  body  from  the 
pollutions  of  contaminating  substances. 
The  same  truth  is  taught  by  the  writer  of 
the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  chap.  ix.  13, 
14,  where  he  shows  the  superiority  of 
Christ's  sacrifice  to  those  typical  sacrifices 


THE   ATONEMENT.  22,0 

that  were  offered  under  the  law:  "  For,  if 
the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and  the 
ashes  of  an  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean, 
sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of  the  flesh: 
how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ, 
who,  through  the  eternal  Spirit  offered 
himself  without  spot  to  God,  purge  your 
conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve  the 
living  God  ?"  The  blood  of  the  Levitical 
sacrifices  were  the  constituted  cause  of  cere- 
monial purification ;  and,  in  like  manner, 
the  blood  of  Christ  is  a  more  powerful 
cause,  of  real  internal  purification  of  the 
sinner's  conscience,  from  the  guilt  and  pol- 
lution of  sin. 

2.  Between  the  death  of  Christ  and  the 
blessings  of  salvation,  there  exists  the  con- 
nexion found  between  a  price  and  its  pur- 
chase. That  his  blood  is  denominated  a 
])rice,  and  that  we  are  said  to  be  bought, 
is  asserted  by  inspired  writers  too  plainly 
to  be  denied  by  any  acquainted  with  scrip- 
tural language ;  and  some  of  our  brethren 
seem  willing  to  allow  that  we  were  bought 
with  a  price ;  but  deny  that  any  price  was 
u 


230  LETTERS  ON 

paid  for  the  blessings  of  salvation.  Yet 
from  the  admission  of  the  former  truth,  the 
latter  must  follow  as  a  legitimate  conse- 
quence. For  when  a  person  buys  a  thing, 
that  thing  becomes  the  buyer's  property. 
In  what  sense  then,  I  ask,  were  we  bought 
by  Jesus  Christ  ?  Were  we  not  his  proper- 
ty before  he  paid  the  price  ?  Were  we  not 
his  creatures,  dependent  on  him  for  existence 
and  every  thing;  and  had  he  not  a  perfect 
and  sovereign  right  to  dispose  of  us  as  he 
pleased  ?  How  then  did  he  buy  us  ?  What 
new  right  did  he  acquire  over  us  by  his 
purchase  ?  He  bought  us  out  of  the  hands 
of  Divine  justice,  and  from  under  the  curse 
of  the  law,  that  he  might  save  us;  he  ac- 
quired by  his  purchase  the  right  of  deliver- 
ing us  from  the  dominion  of  sin  and  Satan, 
and  bestowing  on  us  eternal  life.  "  Father," 
said  our  Redeemer,  as  he  was  finishing  the 
payment  of  the  mighty  price  of  our  redemp- 
tion, "  the  hour  is  come  ;  glorify  thy  Son, 
that  thy  Son  also  may  glorify  thee :  as  thou 
hast  given  him  power  over  all  flesh,  that 
he  should  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as 
thou  hast  given  him."  John  vii.  1,  2. 


THE  ATONEMENT.  231 

Besides,  as  the  sacred  writers  do,  as  we 
have  proved,  connect  the  blessings  of  salva- 
tion with  the  death  of  Christ  as  their  real 
meritorious  cause ;  and  as  they  expressly 
call  his  death  a  price :  it  must  follow,  that 
the  one  is  connected  with  the  other,  just  as 
a  thing  purchased  is  with  the  price  paid. 
And  this  is  taught  still  plainer  in  that  re- 
markable passage  in  Peter's  first  epistle : 
(chap.  i.  18,  19)  "  Forasmuch  as  ye  know 
that  ye  were  not  redeemed  with  corrupti- 
ble things,  as  silver  and  gold,  from  your 
vain  conversation  received  by  tradition 
from  your  fathers ;  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blem- 
ish and  without  spot."  Now,  here  delive- 
rance from  vain  conversation,  from  a  fool- 
ish and  sinful  life,  or  in  other  words,  sane- 
tification,  is  affirmed  to  have  been  pur- 
chased with  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and  if 
this  leading  blessing  of  salvation  was,  then 
it  will  follow,  that  all  others  were  thus 
purchased.  Accordingly,  we  find  this  as- 
serted by  the  writer  of  the  epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  :    "  Neither  by  the  blood  of  goats 


232  LETTERS  ON 

and  calves,  but  by  his  own  blood  he  enter- 
ed in  once  into  the  holy  place,  having  ob- 
tained   ETERNAL    REDEMPTION  for    US." 

Heb.  ix.  12.  Eternal  redemption  will,  it 
is  presumed,  be  admitted  in  this  passage,  to 
comprehend  all  the  blessings  of  salvation ; 
or  if  any  should  wish  to  object,  they  ought 
to  be  convinced  by  the  15th  verse,  where 
the  apostle  goes  on  to  say — "  And  for  this 
cause  he  is  the  mediator  of  the  new  testa- 
ment, that  by  means  of  death,  for  the 
redemption  of  the  transgressions  that  were 
under  the  first  testament ;  they  tvhich 
are  called  might  receive  the  promise  of 
the  eternal  inheritance."  Here  then 
the  blessings  of  salvation,  not  excepting 
the  eternal  inheritance,  are  attributed  to 
the  death  of  Christ  as  their  meritorious 
cause,  or  price  paid  for  them.  See  also 
Gal.  iii.  13,  14. 

It  is  in  vain  for  our  brethren  to  endea- 
vour to  explain  away  this  scriptural  truth, 
by  alleging  the  death 'of  Christ  was  not  a 
literal  price.  For  if  by  this  they  mean 
the  blood  of  Christ  was  not  silver  and  gold, 


THE  ATONEMENT.  2'33 

they  assert  what  no  one  can  be  ignorant  of, 
and  guard  against  an  error  which  none  are 
in  danger  of  adopting.  But  the  blood  of 
Immanuel,  though  not  silver  nor  gold,  yet 
was  a  real  price;  infinitely  more  valuable 
in  the  sight  of  God  and  acceptable  to  Di- 
vine justice,  than  all  the  treasures  of  earthly 
kingdoms.  That  the  purchase  of  our  salva- 
tion by  this  amazing  price  is  perfectly  con- 
sistent with  the  reign  of  free  and  sove- 
reign grace  throughout  the  whole  work, 
from  beginning  to  end,  was,  you  will  re- 
member, shown  in  my  third  letter.  To  the 
arguments  there  used  to  establish  the  en- 
tire harmony  of  salvation  by  grace,  and 
salvation  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  it 
is  not  deemed  necessary  to  offer  any  thing 
additional. 

3.  The  connexion  between  the  death  of 
Christ  and  our  salvation,  is  the  same  as  that 
which  exists  between  a  service  rendered 
and  a  stipulated  reward. 

A  work  was  assigned  to  Jesus  Christ  by 
his  eternal  Father.     This  work  consisted 


234  LETTERS  ON 

in  his  active  and  passive  obedience,  or,  in 
other  words,  in  his  obedience  even  unto 
death.  So  we  are  taught  by  holy  scripture. 
He  himself  says,  "  sacrifice  and  offering 
thou  didst  not  desire;  mine  ears  hast  thou 
opened:  burnt  offering  and  sin  offering  hast 
thou  not  required.  Then  said  I,  lo,  I 
come  :  in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  writ- 
ten of  me,  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  0  my 
God :  yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart." 
Ps.  xl.  6,  8.  "  I  came  down  from  heaven, 
not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will  of 
him  that  sent  me/'  John  vi.  38.  Speak- 
ing of  laying  down  his  life,  the  Saviour 
says,  "This commandment  have  I  received 
from  my  Father."  John  x.  18.  And  at 
the  close  of  life,  just  before  his  crucifixion, 
he  said,  "  Father,  I  have  glorified  thee  on 
the  earth ;  I  have  finished  the  work  which 
thou  gavest  me  to  do"  His  exaltation 
followed,  not  merely  as  a  consequent  fol- 
lows an  antecedent,  but  as  a  reward  of  a 
stipulated  service.  His  reward  consisted 
in  his  being  raised,  as  man  and  mediator, 
to  the  mediatorial  throne,  invested  with 


THE  ATONEMENT.  235 

supreme  dominion  over  the  church  and  the 
world,  over  men  and  angels,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  saving  unnumbered  sinners  of  our 
race,  to  the  glory  of  Divine  grace.  Both 
prophets  and  apostles  inculcate  this  delight- 
ful truth.  "Thy  throne,  0  God,"  ex- 
claims David,  while  contemplating  the 
beauty  and  glory  of  the  promised  Messiah, 
"is  for  ever  and  ever:  the  sceptre  of  thy 
kingdom  is  a  right  sceptre.  Thou  lovest 
righteousness  and  hatest  wickedness: 
therefore,  God,  thy  God,  hath  anointed 
thee  with  the  oil  of  joy  above  thy  fellows:' 
Ps.  xlv.  6,  7.  In  his  prophetic  view  of  the 
humiliation  and  exaltation,  the  death  and 
resurrection,  the  obedience  and  reward  of 
Christ,  Isaiah  says,  "When  thou  shalt  make 
his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his 
seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the 
pleasure  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his 
hands.  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his 
soul  and  be  satisfied:  by  his  knowledge 
shall  my  righteous  servant  justify  many: 
for  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities.  There- 
tore  will  I  divide  him  a  portion  with 


236  LETTERS  ON 

the  great,  and  he  shalt  divide  the  spoil 
■with  the  strong :  because  he  hath  pour- 
ed OUT  HIS  SOUL    UNTO    DEATH."       Isaiah 

liii.  10,  12.  Having  recited  the  several 
steps  in  the  humiliation  of  the  Son  of  God, 
from  his  assumption  of  the  form  of  a  ser- 
vant, to  his  death  on  the  cross,  the  apostle 
Paul  declares  his  reward  :  "  wherefore 
God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and 
given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every 
name:  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things 
in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth;  and 
that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father."  Phil.  ii.  9,  11.  And  the  Re- 
deemer himself  proclaims  the  same  truth, 
in  his  solemn  intercessory  prayer;  in  which, 
immediately  after  stating  the  completion 
of  his  work,  he  prefers  his  claim  to  the 
promised  reward :  "  And  now,  0  Father, 
glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own  self,  with 
the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the 
world  was.  Father,  I  will  that  they  also 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,   be  with  me 


THE  ATONEMENT.  237 

where  I  am :  that  they  may  behold  my 
glory  which  thou  hast  given  vie :  for  thou 
lovedst  me  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  John  xvii.  5,  24.  To  this  glo- 
rious reward  the  apostle  refers,  when, 
speaking  of  the  Redeemer,  he  says,  "Who, 
for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him,  en- 
dured the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and 
is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne 
of  God."     Heb.  xii.  2. 

Thus  are  we  taught  to  conceive  of  the 
nature  of  the  connexion  subsisting  between 
the  death  of  Christ  and  our  salvation."  It 
is  that  of  cause  and  effect,  that  of  a  price 
and  its  purchase,  that  of  a  service  rendered 
and  a  stipulated  reward.  To  speak  then  of 
the  atonement  as  merely  opening  the  door 
of  hope  and  mercy,  is  ascribing  to  it  not 
half  the  praise  due  to  that  amazing  transac- 
tion ;  and  to  assert  that  its  end  would  be  ac- 
complished, although  not  one  human  soul 
were  saved,  is  to  derogate  from  the  glory 
of  Him  who  died  that  we  might  live,  and 
hung  upon  a  cross,  that  we  might  ascend  a 
throne.     The  design,  both  of  the  Father 


238  LETTERS  ON 

who  gave  his  Son,  and  of  the  Son  who 
gave  himself,  to  be  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  was, 
to  secure  the  salvation  of  all  believers,  and 
of  all  who  were  chosen  to  salvation  in  the 
eternal  purposes  of  heaven.  This  glorious 
effect  must  be  produced,  or  the  atonement 
would  fail  in  accomplishing  its  grand  de- 
sign. But  failure  is  impossible.  "  I  lay- 
down  my  life  for  the  sheep.  And  other 
sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold  : 
them  also  must  I  bring,  and  they  shall 
hear  my  voice ;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold 
and  one  shepherd."  Johnx.  15, 16.  "All 
that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to 
me ;  and  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in 
no  wise  cast  out.  And  this  is  the  Father's 
will  which  hath  sent  me,  that  of  all  which 
he  hath  given  me,  I  should  lose  nothing, 
but  should  raise  it  up  again  at  the  last 
day.  And  this  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent 
me,  that  every  one  which  seeth  the  Son, 
and  believeth  on  him,  may  have  everlasting 
life ;  and  /  will  raise  him  up  again  at 
the  last  day."     John  vi.  37,  39,  40. 

Such  is  the  scriptural  connexion  between 


THE  ATONEMENT.  239 

the  death  of  Christ  and  the  salvation  of  be- 
lievers; a  connexion  clearly  pointed  out, 
and  strongly  marked  by  inspired  teachers. 
It  is  one  of  those  glorious  truths  which  we 
owe  to  Divine  revelation,  and  which  we  are 
bound  by  Divine  authority  to  believe,  and 
apply  to  those  practical  purposes  it  is  in- 
tended to  subserve.  It  has  an  important 
bearing  on  a  Christian's  experience.  It  is 
calculated  to  excite  his  joy,  and  awaken  his 
gratitude ;  while  it  points  out  to  him  the 
sacred  fountain  in  which  he  is  to  wash,  that 
he  may  be  cleansed  from  all  the  stains  of 
guilt,  and  all  the  pollution  of  sin. 

The  atonement  we  justly  honour,  when 
we  conceive  of  it  as  the  procuring,  meri- 
torious cause  of  salvation,  and  as  the  infi- 
nite price  paid  by  the  Son  of  God  for  the 
redemption  of  all  his  chosen  people ;  and 
when  we  believe  that  the  free  and  sove- 
reign grace  of  God,  as  it  provided,  so  will 
not  fail  to  apply  this  infallible  remedy, 
discovered  by  Infinite  Wisdom,  for  healing 
the  dreadful  diseases  produced  by  sin.  By 
his    obedience    unto    death,    Christ    was 


240  LETTERS  ON 

"made"  a  "perfect"  High  Priest;  and 
thus,  by  his  blood,  "became  the  author 
of  eternal  salvation  unto  all  them  that 
obey  him."  See  Heb.  v.  8,  9,  and  ii.  10. 
Having  finished  the  discussion,  permit 
me  now  to  recapitulate  the  several  points 
in  which  the  two  schemes  of  atonement 
have  been  contrasted.  In  my  first  letter  it 
was  shown,  that,  notwithstanding  the  broad 
assertions  of  the  New  School  about  its  ex- 
tent, the  indefinite  is  not  more  extensive 
than  the  definite  atonement,  either  in  re- 
gard to  the  merit  of  Christ's  death,  or  in 
reference  to  its  application,  or  in  respect 
to  the  offer  of  salvation,  or  in  relation  to 
the  Divine  purpose:  and,  in  fact,  that  the 
views  of  our  brethren,  in  this  particular, 
have  no  advantage  whatever  over  ours.  In 
the  second,  third,  and  fourth  letters,  the 
doctrine  of  the  two  schools  was  compared, 
in  respect  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel, 
and  the  display  of  free  and  sovereign  grace, 
in  the  recovery  of  fallen  man ;  and  it  was, 
I  trust,  proved,  that  there  is  nothing  in  our 
views  of  the  atonement,  to  prevent  the  ge- 


THE  ATONEMENT.  241 

neral  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  all  nations, 
and  all  classes  of  mankind;  nothing  to  hin- 
der a  free  and  unrestricted  offer  of  salvation 
to  every  one  who  hears  us,  and  to  assure 
him,  that  if  he  believe,  he  will  certainly  be 
saved:  that  there  is  no  inconsistency  what- 
ever in  representing,  as  the  inspired  writers 
plainly  do,  the  blessings  of  salvation  as 
being,  at  once,  the  fruits  of  Christ's 
death,  and  the  fruits  of  free  and  sove- 
reign grace ;  and  that  if  there  were  any 
difficulty  in  this  matter,  the  attempt  of  our 
brethren  to  remove  it,  by  asserting  the  Re- 
deemer satisfied  public,  and  not  distribu- 
tive justice,  is  futile.  We  compared  the 
views  entertained  by  the  two  schools  of  the 
nature  of  the  atonement,  in  the  fifth,  sixth, 
and  seventh  letters;  where  it  appeared,  that 
our  doctrine  accords  with  scriptural  state- 
ments and  representations  on  the  subject; 
and  that,  as  our  brethren  mistake,  so,  by 
denying  the  real  satisfaction  made  by  the 
Son  of  God  in  his  character  of  substitute 
of  his  people,  charged  with  their  sins,  and 
sustaining  the  penalty  of  the  law  due  to 


242  LETTERS  ON,  &C. 

them,  they,  in  fact,  subvert  the  true  na- 
ture of  the  atonement,  and  oppose  clear 
and  positive  testimonies  of  inspired  writers. 
In  the  remaining  letters  I  endeavoured  to 
prove,  that  the  doctrine  of  the  Old,  is  to  be 
preferred  to  that  of  the  New  School ;  be- 
cause it  puts  higher  honour  on  the  truth, 
the  justice,  and  the  love  of  God ;  because  it 
better  guards  the  rights  and  demands  of 
the  Divine  law ;  and  because  it  affords  a 

r 

brighter  display  of  the  mediatorial  glory 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Committing  these  letters  to  the  patronage 
and  blessing  of  that  Almighty  Redeemer 
whose  work  I  have  endeavoured  to  illus- 
trate, and  whose  glory  I  have  attempted  to 
magnify, 

I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Yours  affectionately, 


THE  END, 


